THE  TYRANT 

IN 

WHITE 


BY 

HENRY    HERMAN 


PHILADELPHIA 

HOME  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 
1217  MARKET  ST. 


COPTEIQHT,  1909,  BY 

HENRY    HERMAN. 

ENTERED  AT  STATIONERS' 

All  right*  reserved. 


To  ALL  PARENTS 

THIS  BOOK 
is  EARNESTLY  DEDICATED. 


2134565 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 


CHAPTER  I 

SHIVERING  now  and  then  as  they  crouched  behind  an 
outbuilding  of  the  military  academy  on  a  raw  March  day, 
two  boys  were  sharing  a  box  of  cigarettes.  If  there  was 
the  discomfort  of  being  out  of  doors,  it  was  amply  compen- 
sated for  by  the  two-fold  joy  of  breaking  the  academy  rules 
about  smoking,  and  of  doing  it  at  a  place  which  had  been 
closely  watched  for  such  a  breach  of  discipline. 

This  flying  in  the  teeth  of  likely  discovery  was  just  a 
week  old,  and  had  been  prompted  by  the  older  boy,  who 
had  offered  in  argument : 

"All  the  fellows  keep  away  from  this  place  because  they 
don't  want  to  get  caught.  So  there's  going  to  be  a  let-up 
in  the  watching.  It's  a  place  worth  trying,  Lenny." 

After  a  week  of  uninterrupted  smoking,  the  younger  boy 
was  ready  to  admit  the  shrewdness  of  this  guess.  He  had 
already  paid  tribute  to  his  companion  in  a  letter  home 
when  he  had  written : 

"Don't  be  surprised  that  I've  taken  up  with  Bob  Maur. 
He's  changing  quite  a  lot,  and  we  get  along.     I  really 
think  he  has  it  over  the  other  boys  for  cleverness.     You 
know  that  isn't  a  new  notion  of  mine." 
6 


6  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

The  mother  to  whom  this  letter  was  sent  read  it  without 
delight,  although  her  return  letter  showed  no  displeasure 
at  the  sudden  chumming.  "Shrewd"  was,  to  her  thinking, 
a  better  word  for  "Bob"  Maur  than  "clever."  Others  who 
knew  him  were  inclined  to  be  less  kind.  When  they  spoke 
of  him  they  were  in  the  habit  of  saying,  "Oh,  he  will  get 
on!"  But  the  tone  would  be  loaded  with  mistrust. 

A  judgment  of  this  sort  is,  after  all,  best  tested  by  the 
opinions  of  a  boy's  companions;  In  Maur's  case,  although 
he  had  many  cronies,  they  exhibited  no  deep  affection  for 
him.  Oversized  for  his  seventeen  years,  overconfident,  and 
of  a  bullying  nature,  he  might  have  spent  a  very  lonely 
existence  at  the  school  but  for  his  unusual  athletic  ability. 
This  transformed  his  vices  into  virtues.  Qualities  which 
would  ordinarily  have  made  him  enemies  were  looked  upon 
as  invaluable  for  contests  with  other  schools. 

In  football  he  invariably  left  a  feeling  of  rage  in  his 
opponents  because  of  foul  tactics,  without  giving  the  latter 
the  slightest  loophole  for  lodging  a  complaint  with  the 
officials  of  the  game.  He  was  always  ready  in  baseball  to 
spike  a  good  player  by  sliding  to  base  where  there  was 
ample  time  to  reach  it  on  a  run.  No  one  could  more  clev- 
erly foul  a  runner  at  a  track  meet,  and  he  had  been  dis- 
qualified but  once  in  three  years  of  track  athletics,  despite 
numerous  protests,  so  well  did  he  cover  up  his  methods. 

The  applause  which  all  this  won  him  was  as  hearty  in 
season  as  out  of  season.  Many  looked  upon  him  as  des- 
tined for  a  brilliant  college  career.  Even  the  few  upper 
classmen  who  had  the  courage  to  pronounce  him  "a  dirty 
player"  admitted  that  he  was  invaluable  to  the  academy. 

There  was  one  in  a  class  lower  than  his  own,  however, 
who  waa  quite  free  in  criticism  of  this  style  of  play — the 
slender,  nervous  boy  now  sitting  at  his  side,  who  never  hes- 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  7 

itated  to  point  out  the  ill-repute  which  Maur's  unsports- 
manlike tricks  brought  the  school. 

The  sudden  intimacy  of  the  two,  therefore,  puzzled  their 
fellows.  Their  smoking  together  did  not  explain  it,  since 
it  was  the  younger  who  did  the  most  of  this,  with  a  vim 
which  created  unfavorable  comment.  "If  Bob  Maur  ex- 
pects Lenny  Craigie  to  fill  Eddie  Wheeler's  shoes  as  short- 
stop, he  ought  to  sit  down  on  his  cigarettes,"  was  generally 
remarked  when  the  coming  baseball  season  was  under  dis- 
cussion. 

Cigarettes  had  attracted  Leonard  (or  "Lenny")  Craigie 
but  fitfully  in  the  past.  If  he  readily  went  along  when 
Maur  became  generous  in  the  matter  of  inviting  him  to 
"come  and  have  a  smoke,"  it  was  out  of  pride,  lest  he 
should  face  the  sneering  question,  "Are  you  afraid?" 

Pride  was  one  of  the  qualities  in  which  Lenny  differed 
from  Maur.  It  was  that  which  made  unfair  play  impos- 
sible for  him.  Not  that  he  looked  upon  this  as  a  distinc- 
tion in  his  own  favor  to  be  held  up  for  others'  applause, 
but,  as  he  put  it:  "I  get  more  fun  out  of  being  on  the 
square.  That's  all."  He  did  not  see  that  it  was  his  pride 
which  made  it  "fun." 

Craigie  himself  was  not  passed  by  when  the  student  body 
took  stock  of  its  promising  "men."  In  their  opinion,  he 
was  on  the  eve  of  many  things,  since  he  had  shown  great 
cleverness  in  his  trials  for  quarter-back  during  the  pre- 
vious fall,  when  only  his  light  weight  had  kept  him  out  of 
the  regular  line-up.  And  as  an  infielder  in  baseball,  he 
was  nimble,  covered  much  territory,  and  was  an  accurate 
thrower.  Only  his  light  hitting  of  the  ball  was  against 
him. 

"He  ought  to  make  good  in  a  year,"  was  the  general  ver- 
dict. "All  he  needs  is  a  few  more  inches  and  pounds." 


8  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

He  was  regarded  as  impulsive,  although  not  in  a  self- 
seeking  way.  Those  in  charge  of  the  school  liked  his  re- 
markably steady  brown  eyes — and  he  resented  this  to  some 
degree  because  favor  with  the  teachers  meant  disfavor  with 
one's  fellows. 

But  if  ever  the  latter  were  inclined  to  sneer,  they  took 
care  to  suppress  it.  Sneering  was  a  dangerous  pastime  in 
his  presence.  So  extremely  sensitive  was  he  that  when  a 
sense  of  injustice  mastered  him  he  allowed  his  temper  to 
leap  into  the  saddle,  and  then  boys  much  stronger  or  bigger 
than  he  did  not  care  to  face  him,  for  he  did  not  know  when 
he  was  beaten  until  he  had  been  badly  worsted. 

Older  minds  would  have  said  that  this  impulsiveness 
would  always  keep  Lenny  young,  just  as  they  would  have 
put  Maur  down  as  a  promising  politician.  Of  late  this 
same  impulsiveness  had  allowed  Lenny  to  overlook  his  fre- 
quent "roasting"  of  Maur's  ways,  and  his  frequent  accusa- 
tions that  Maur  put  inferior  men  on  the  different  teams 
out  of  friendship  for  them. 

As  things  stood,  Lenny  himself  was  likely  to  make  the 
baseball  team  for  that  very  reason.  Bob  Maur  talked  little 
else  than  baseball  as  they  squatted  behind  the  outbuilding 
day  after  day,  smoking,  and  waiting  for  warmer  weather 
to  admit  of  baseball  practice.  In  the  week  which  had  gone 
by  Lenny  had  been  less  and  less  able  to  understand  why 
he  was  being  favored  by  Maur"s  confidences.  But  on  this 
particular  day  Maur  had  not  been  as  free  with  talk,  and 
the  smoothness  of  their  intimacy  was  in  danger  of  receiving 
a  jolt  when  Maur  unexpectedly  remarked : 

"You  aren't  inhaling!  You're  doing  nothing  but  stow- 
ing the  smoke  away  in  your  cheeks.  You've  smoked  long 
enough  not  to  look  like  the  girls  on  the  stage  who  make 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  9 

believe  they're  cigarette  fiends.  You're  afraid  to  inhale, 
aren't  you?" 

Craigie's  face  became  muscle-bound,  and  there  was  dan- 
ger of  an  outburst.  The  remark,  however,  seemed  to  have 
been  thrown  off  rather  carelessly.  There  was  nothing 
Lenny  felt  he  could  do  but  to  take  the  "dare,"  and  he  in- 
haled the  smoke  of  the  cigarette  with  a  long,  loud  breath. 
The  next  moment  he  was  doubled  up  by  a  stifling  cough 
which  he  could  not  suppress. 

Maur  said  dryly:  "If  you  don't  look  out,  you'll  have  the 
whole  school  down  here." 

At  this  the  choking  cough  became  a  sputtering.  Lenny 
soon  overcame  this  and  resumed  his  smoking  with  dignified 
aloofness.  Maur  sought  to  shake  his  composure  by  saying : 

"I  wonder  what  sort  of  an  example  the  Colonel  would 
make  of  us  if  he  caught  us.  He  might  know  about  this 
and  might  be  saving  it  all  up  to  soak  us  so  much  harder. 
It  would  be  like  him.  They  switch  boys  in  schools  in  Eng- 
land for  breaking  the  rules,  you  know.  I'd  rather  stand 
that  than  the  line  of  talk  the  Colonel  hands  out.  And  he 
smokes  himself!  Think  you  could  stand  a  switching?" 

"No!"  said  Craigie,  uneasy  at  the  picture  his  mind  had 
promptly  conjured  up.  "I  might  bear  it  for  a  bang  or 
two;  then  I'd  have  to  get  the  switch  away." 

Maur  merely  commented,  "Oh,  you  think  you  would!" 

"But  I  would!"  was  the  reply.  Then  Craigie  com- 
plained, "They  don't  always  get  the  right  fellow,  anyway. 
One  who's  tricky  and  makes  the  most  trouble  is  just  the  one 
to  slip  out  the  easiest.  Why,  take  this  smoking.  You've 
been  at  it  for  a  long  time " 

"Catch  me  overdoing  it!"  interposed  Maur. 

"Well,  as  far  as  that  goes,  neither  do  I.  But  while 
you  smoked  a  couple  of  years  without  being  caught,  I  no 


10  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

sooner  got  a  whiff  of  a  cigarette  last  year  than  the  Colonel 
hauled  me  over  the  coals.  And  you  never  had  a  word  said 
to  you !  If  they  catch  me  this  time  I'm  not  even  going  to 
pretend  that  I'll  quit  smoking." 

"You  don't  intend  to  keep  it  up  at  this  rate,  do  you?" 
asked  Maur,  secretly  amused,  but  pretending  to  be  serious. 

"Oh,  no!  It's  a  sort  of  dissipation  before  we  settle 
down  to  baseball.  It  hasn't  hurt  me  so  far  this  year,  and 
I've  been  smoking  two  or  three  a  day.  I  don't  see  the 
sense  of  their  kicking  about  a  fellow  of  sixteen  using  that 
number." 

"Why  don't  you  get  up  a  petition  about  it?"  laughed 
Maur.  "The  Colonel  might  give  in." 

"Well,  he'd  be  doing  an  honest  thing,  for  the  wonder  of 
it!"  Lenny  replied  with  a  frown  for  the  laughter. 

Maur  grew  serious.  "You  don't  seem  to  catch  on  why 
this  place  is  run,"  he  said.  "If  the  fellows'  mothers  knew 
about  the  cigarettes,  the  old  man  might  as  well  close  up 
shop  and  shake  his  military  walk.  Take  your  own  mother, 
for  instance." 

"Oh,  of  course  women  don't  like  tobacco!"  said  Lenny 
uneasily.  "Mother  couldn't  stand  dad  smoking.  You've 
seen  the  fine  cigarette  cases  he  brought  home  from  cruises. 
A  fellow  might  be  twenty,  and  there  would  be  the  same 
kick." 

"They've  got  their  reasons,  I  guess,"  Maur  argued. 
"Smoking  ain't  chewing  gum.  Who's  the  champion  liar 
in  the  school  with  the  yellowest  streak  in  him?  Dick 
Hays !  And  yet  he  was  held  up  for  a  proper,  spunky  kid 
when  I  turned  up  here !" 

"What  do  you  expect  with  four  packs  a  day?"  was  the 
retort. 

"Well,  what  about  Joe  Cable?    He's  a  moderate  fiend, 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  11 

all  right !  And  he's  getting  deaf  with  it.  Told  me  on  the 
quiet  that's  what  a  doctor  he  stole  off  to  see  told  him." 

"Cable  is  a  fine  chap,"  said  Lenny. 

"Oh,  he's  that,  I  guess,"  replied  Maur  grudgingly. 
"But  deaf  people  aren't  popular.  Anyhow,  that's  two  in 
my  own  class.  And  then,  Dolliver  fired  for  stealing !  The 
Colonel  was  right  about  him.  Cigarettes  put  him  on  the 
toboggan." 

Maur  now  puffed  his  cigarette  with  less  of  an  air  of 
boredom,  certain  that  Craigie  would  lose  his  temper.  He 
did ;  and  there  came  with  a  snap : 

"If  I  wanted  to  croak  like  that,  I'd  throw  my  cigarette 
away  first !" 

The  reply  was  prompt.  "Oh,  it  never  hurt  me,  and  it 
isn't  likely  to.  I've  got  a  constitution  that  wouldn't  balk 
at  a  few  cigarettes."  And  Maur  pulled  the  cape  of  his 
military  overcoat  closer  about  his  head. 

"You  mean  to  say  you're  not  coddling  yourself?" 
Craigie  rebelled  against  the  boastful  tone.  "You  needn't 
worry  about  the  smoking  you're  doing.  If  you  thought  it 
was  hurting  you,  you'd  scare  in  a  minute." 

Maur  looked  with  narrowed  eyes  at  the  offender.  His 
answer,  however,  did  not  show  a  trace  of  ill-feeling. 

"Who'd  go  in  behind  the  bat  if  I  got  out  of  condition?" 
he  asked.  "The  boys  don't  understand  the  work  a  good 
catcher  hps  got  to  put  in.  I've  made  several  pitchers 
right  here  in  the  academy  out  of  bum  material.  Butter- 
worth  would  go  to  pieces  with  those  rank  cigars  of  his ;  but 
didn't  I  make  him  toe  the  mark  last  year?  He's  going 
to  pitch  great  ball  this  year,  too !  But  I  couldn't  think  of 
letting  Dolley  take  my  place,  because  he'd  never  steady 
him.  As  captain  of  the  team,  no  matter  who  doesn't  make 
good,  it's  up  to  me  to  keep  straight.  If  I  did  nothing  but 


12  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

read  novels  like  Hale,  I'd  have  a  trunkful  of  cigarettes  to 
keep  me  company." 

And  then,  very  deliberately,  he  threw  his  cigarette  down 
and  put  his  heel  on  it.  Craigie  kept  on  smoking,  but 
paused  to  say,  with  a  smile : 

"I  might  take  a  notion  to  do  that,  too,  some  time.  But 
I'm  not  going  to  scare  at  a  few  cigarettes.  Why,  what 
about  Justin  Mahan?"  There  was  triumph  in  his  voice. 
"What  did  cigarettes  ever  do  to  him?  And  he  was  the 
greatest  third  baseman  that  ever  went  to  college !  He'd  be 
on  top  of  the  heap  in  professional  ball  if  he  wanted  to. 
Even  Conny  had  to  give  in  that  all  her  talk  about  cigarettes 
was  nonsense  when  she  remembered  Justin  Mahan's  doing 
five  boxes  a  day." 

At  the  mention,  of  the  girl's  name,  Maur's  listless  air 
vanished.  All  that  week  he  had  been  patiently  smoking 
with  Lenny,  in  the  hope  that  her  name  would  come  up. 
But  Lenny,  boy  though  he  was,  and  uncalculating,  had 
managed  to  keep  it  out  of  their  daily  talk,  because  he  re- 
sented Maur's  fondness  for  the  girl. 

He  had  never  ceased  to  be  sorely  vexed  that  Conny 
should  have  forgiven  the  bullying  she  had  suffered  at 
Maur's  hands  when  she  had  lived  a  tomboy  life  from  six 
to  thirteen,  among  the  boys  of  her  neighborhood.  It  was 
true  that  Maur  had  begun  to  regard  her  altogether  differ- 
ently since  he  had  discovered  during  the  previous  summer 
that  she  had  blossomed  into  a  remarkable  young  woman. 
But  Lenny's  pride  demanded  that  Conny  should  think  of 
old  scores  in  dealing  with  her  old  enemy. 

The  quick  turn  Maur  now  gave  the  talk  was  not  to 
Lenny's  liking;  at  the  same  time  it  somewhat  staggered 
him. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  13 

"Has  Conny  said  anything  to  you  about  me?"  Maur 
asked. 

"Great  guns,  Bob  Maur,  aren't  you  satisfied  with  what 
she  says  about  you  in  your  own  letters?"  cried  Lenny. 
"Why  should  you  think  she  would  stick  you  into  mine?" 

There  was  a  second  surprise  in  store  for  him. 

"She's  quit  writing  to  me,"  Maur  replied.  "It  was  be- 
cause I  roasted  her  for  going  with  all  sorts  of  fellows. 
Germantown  is  getting  a  lot  of  Philadelphia's  riff-raff.  It 
was  all  right  when  she  was  a  kid.  But  it's  about  time  she 
grew  up." 

Lenny  now  had  an  inkling  why  Maur  had  taken  up  with 
him,  and  he  decided  that  since  it  was  to  make  him  talk 
about  Conny,  he  would  do  so  in  a  way  which  would  not 
give  Maur  much  joy. 

"She  must  be  mighty  sore  at  your  writing  that  sort  of 
thing,"  he  said,  "even  though  you  did  get  chummy  with 
her  up  there  in  Maine  last  summer.  Can't  you  see  the  nice 
thing  about  her  is  that  she  don't  put  on  airs  ?  That's  why 
she  forgave  you  for  all  your  tricks  when  we  were  kids  to- 
gether. And  here  you  are  trying  to  make  her  miserable 
because  she's  a  good  fellow !  I  guess  someone  needed  a  call- 
down  !" 

"Cut  that,  will  you !"  cried  Maur,  red  with  anger.  "You 
come  of  a  good  enough  family  to  know  that  a  girl  friend  of 
yours  should  stick  to  her  set.  She  can't  be  making  friends 
of  everybody !  Do  you  think  her  aunt  likes  it  ?" 

"Why  not?"  asked  Lenny.  "It's  just  like  Conny  to  be 
making  friends  of  everybody.  If  you  only  guessed  that  she 
had  lots  of  sense,  you  wouldn't  be  telling  her  she  was  doing 
the  wrong  thing." 

"The  best  place  for  Conny,"  growled  Maur,  "is  some 
girls'  school  five  hundred  miles  from  Germantown.  These 


14  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

places  near  home  aren't  much  good  except  for  fond 
mammas.  If  I  had  my  way,  I'd  be  miles  away  from  here. 
Wait  till  I  go  to  college !  My  old  man  thinks  it  will  be 
Penn.  Not  if  I  know  it !  Look  at  the  trouble  you  must 
have  keeping  your  mother  from  coming  over  here  every 
other  day !" 

"Guess  again!"  said  Lenny,  flushing.  "It  isn't  like 
her!" 

"Well,  anyhow,  that  isn't  what  we  started  to  talk  about. 
If  Conny  goes  up  in  the  air  about  my  wanting  to  have  her 
act  sensibly,  I've  got  nothing  more  to  say!"  And  Maur 
got  to  his  feet  with  a  dogged  look. 

"Oh,  you'll  write  again — differently,"  said  Lenny. 

"Who?    Me?    Don't  you  believe  it !"  cried  Maur. 

Turning  on  his  heel,  he  stalked  off,  his  head  very  high. 
But  this  did  not  deceive  Lenny,  who  reflected  that  if  Maur 
was  willing  to  hang  about  him  for  a  week  to  get  some  news 
of  Conny,  he  must  be  hard  hit  indeed. 

"Trying  to  make  a  snob  of  her !"  he  laughed. 

It  was  almost  time  to  go  to  the  mess-hall,  but  he  pre- 
ferred to  stay  out  until  the  last  moment,  and  to  do  what 
he  had  often  seen  older  men  do — smoke  and  muse.  The 
wind  had  died  down;  he  felt  mere  comfortable,  although 
the  cigarette  fumes  parched  his  throat. 

He  considered  his  chances  for  the  baseball  team.  They 
appeared  promising.  His  mother  would  be  glad;  Conny 
would  be  equally  so.  He  saw  himself  in  all  sorts  of  brilliant 
plays,  with  the  whole  school  agape.  He  would  not  smoke 
so  much;  no  one  would  expect  him  to  when  he  was  in 
training. 

Although  he  realized  that  he  might  have  bettered  his 
chances  for  the  team  by  soothing  Maur's  feelings  about 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  15 

Conny,  he  rebelled  against  this  manner  of  currying  favor. 
He  felt  that  Conny  had  but  repaid  Maur  in  his  own  coin. 

"It's  only  she  who  would  forgive  him  for  the  trouble  he 
made  for  her/'  he  reflected.  "And  I  guess  she'll  do  it 
again,"  he  added  sadly. 

As  he  got  up  to  go  across  the  campus  the  cheerfulness 
he  had  felt  suddenly  vanished.  He  discovered  that  he  had 
also  lost  his  appetite,  and  he  began  to  look  forward  to  lying 
down  for  a  nap. 

"That's  queer!"  he  thought,  puzzled.  "It  couldn't  be 
the  smoking?  Perhaps  I  have  overdone  it." 

Then,  somewhat  ashamed  to  have  been  found  wanting 
where  other  boys  of  his  age  appeared  to  get  along  without 
any  complaint,  he  straightened  up  as  he  joined  the  stream 
of  boys  pouring  out  of  the  "barracks." 

"Lenny,"  said  a  pudgy-faced  boy  beside  him  while  they 
were  entering  the  mess-hall,  "can  you  give  me  a  lift  in  my 
algebra  to-night  ?  I'm  in  an  awful  hole." 

"Don't  feel  like  working  to-night.  I'm  out  of  sorts," 
was  the  answer. 

The  other  mistook  his  listlessnesa  for  curtness,  and 
exclaimed : 

"Too  thick  with  Bob  Maur  to  have  any  use  for  other 
fellows,  eh?  If  I  couldn't  make  the  baseball  team  without 
toadying  to  Maur,  I'd  never  look  at  a  ball !" 

He  was  seized  by  the  shoulders  and  flung  against  the 
wall.  As  Lenny  lunged  at  him,  the  crowding  boys  hastened 
to  interfere,  and  managed  to  pull  Lenny  off. 

"Oh,  I'll  settle  this  outside !"  he  stormed.  "If  you  say 
I'm  thick  with  Maur  for  baseball  reasons,  you're  lying! 
I'll  make  you  eat  those  words !" 

The  presence  of  an  instructor  quieted  him.  Before  the 
meal  was  finished,  a  note  came  his  way. 


16  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Sorry  I  said  it,"  was  written  in  a  large  scrawl.  "I 
don't  think  you  care  much  for  Maur.  But  I'm  not  saying  it 
because  I'm  afraid." 

"0.  K,"  Lenny  wrote  back  to  close  the  incident.  "Watch 
me  make  the  ball  team  with  Maur  against  me  I" 


CHAPTER  II 

CONNY  was  short  for  Constance  Trevor,  and  that  name 
was  very  often  on  many  lips — on  those  of  boys  who  idolized 
her,  of  mothers  who  were  scornful  when  their  sons  went 
visiting  to  the  Breen  house,  of  their  fathers,  who  always 
found  a  smile  for  the  laughter-loving  girl,  and  of  the 
neighborhood  people  in  general.  Aristocratic  mammas  con- 
stantly had  visions  of  runaway  matches,  undesirable  be- 
cause Conny's  origin  was  still  food  for  gossip. 

This  gossip  was  not  shouted  from  the  house-tops,  because, 
although  the  mother  of  Conny  had  made  a  runaway  match, 
the  Breen  name  stood  high  in  the  community,  and  there 
existed  a  wealthy  young  aunt  to  give  Conny  the  benefit  of 
her  social  position.  Conny's  own  share  of  the  Breen  wealth 
would  not  be  small — so  rumor  had  it.  But  even  that  could 
not  overcome  the  shrugs  with  which  the  oft-repeated  story 
of  her  mother's  elopement  was  met.  That  the  exact  details 
of  the  story  were  not  known  mattered  little.  The  story 
itself,  however,  was  simpler  than  gossip  made  it. 

Marie  Trevor  had  come  home  after  a  runaway  match 
with  an  actor,  to  die,  a  girl  of  twenty,  in  the  arms  of  a  stern 
father,  and  to  leave  him  the  charge  of  her  babe.  To  one — 
Marie's  step-sister  Gertrude,  a  girl  of  nine  when  Marie 
died — the  babe  Constance  was  from  the  first  a  constant 
source  of  delight.  But  when  Gertrude  was  fifteen,  her  love 
for  six-year  old  Conny  was  to  know  grave  responsibility, 
17 


18  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

for  the  spectre  of  Death  came  again  to  that  home,  to  take 
Mr.  Breen  himself.  A  trusted  housekeeper  was  Breen's 
only  ray  of  hope  as  death  closed  in  upon  him,  leaving  the 
girls  of  fifteen  and  six  without  kin  to  care  for  them. 

During  his  last  moments,  there  came  to  Breen  the  part- 
ing injunction  of  his  dead  daughter : 

"Take  care  of  the  child,  dad.  There  will  be  no  one  but 
you !  Surely  you  hold  nothing  against  it !  See  what  a 
little,  helpless  thing  it  is !" 

He  remembered  how  he  had  been  tempted  to  cry,  "If  you 
had  but  married  a  man,  not  a  loose-living  actor !" 

And  now,  in  his  own  last  moments,  Breen  appealed  to 
his  sobbing,  fifteen-year-old  daughter: 

"Have  I  not  done  my  best  by  the  little  one,  Gertrude?" 

The  answer  of  the  young  girl  brought  him  some  peace, 
for  he  had  come  to  regard  her  judgment  as  that  of  one 
beyond  her  years. 

And  now  she  needed  that  maturity  in  dividing  with  a 
governess  the  care  of  bringing  up  Constance.  As  time 
passed,  those  who  watched  Gertrude  Breen  grow  into  a 
young  woman  spoke  of  her  many  points  of  resemblance  to 
her  father.  Her  firmness  helped  her  to  deal  successfully 
with  the  light-hearted  child  in  her  charge,  who  was  prone 
to  disregard  scoldings,  and  who  joined  the  boys  upon  all 
their  excursions.  The  hard  task  was  to  be  silent  when 
Constance  asked  questions  about  her  father.  Gertrude 
steeled  herself  to  that  silence  by  her  disgust  for  the  mistake 
her  sister  Marie  had  made. 

That  Marie  should  have  married  a  man  out  of  her  own 
sphere  of  life  was  as  nothing  to  the  fact  that  this  man  had 
exerted  brutal  pressure  to  turn  her  into  an  actress.  Ger- 
trude knew  little  more  than  this;  her  father  had  sought  to 
cover  his  grief  with  silence.  It  was  easy  to  surmise,  how- 


THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE  19 

ever,  that  Marie  had  finally  fled  from  the  strange  life  into 
which  she  had  come.  Fortunately,  when  with  the  birth  of 
her  child,  her  young  life  flickered  and  went  out,  the  shadow 
of  Trevor  seemed  to  be  less  upon  the  house.  And  as  Ger- 
trude grew  older,  she  sought  to  get  rid  of  her  curiosity 
about  him. 

In  this  she  was  in  time  aided  by  Conny's  own  tactful 
silence.  The  child,  growing  into  a  beautiful  girl,  often 
wondered.  But  when  the  question  would  be  on  her  lips, 
she  would  look  at  her  aunt,  and  realizing  the  devotion 
Gertrude  had  given  her,  would  leave  that  question  unasked. 

But  there  came  a  day  when  the  silence  of  years  was 
threatened.  As  Conny  sat  in  the  library  one  afternoon 
after  school,  pretending  to  study,  but  really  debating 
whether  to  write  to  Maur,  despite  the  rebuke  of  which  he 
had  spoken  to  Lenny,  she  saw  a  letter  brought  in  to  her 
aunt.  When  Gertrude  opened  it,  Conny  was  startled  to  see 
her  rise  from  her  seat  with  a  cry. 

"What  is  it,  Aunt  Gerty?"  asked  the  girl,  hurrying  over 
to  her. 

"Nothing,  dear ;  nothing !"  was  the  tremulous  but  instant 
reply.  Then  Gertrude  hastened  away  to  the  privacy  of  her 
bedroom. 

There,  very  white,  she  tremblingly  reread  a  letter  post- 
marked "Chicago,"  and  afterwards  stood  staring  at  it  with 
terrified  eyes.  It  was  from  Conny's  father !  Eobert  Trevor 
wrote  to  ask  whether  there  was  a  child  that  bore  his  name ! 

For  a  time  Gertrude  was  stunned  by  this  voice  out  of  a 
terrible  past — a  past  which  she  had  believed  beyond  recall. 
She  knew  that  whatever  happened  now  must  destroy  the 
peace  she  had  sought  to  secure.  Either  she  would  have  to 
lie  to  Trevor,  or  permit  him  to  meet  Conny.  She  was 


20  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

frightened  by  the  situation  which  had  developed  in  so  short 
a  time. 

There  were  old  friends  of  the  family  to  whom  she  could 
turn  for  advice ;  but  at  that  moment  her  thoughts  centered 
upon  one  man  who  was  neither  old  nor  could  be  quite  looked 
upon  as  a  friend.  He  was  the  Justin  Mahan  of  Lenny's 
conversation  with  Maur,  and  was  one  of  the  many  suitors 
who  sought  Gertrude's  home  in  the  hope  that  she  would 
say  "Yes"  to  their  entreaties. 

When  Gertrude  hit  upon  Justin  as  the  one  who  might 
help  her  in  her  dilemma,  she  blushingly  told  herself  that  it 
was  because  she  wished  advice  from  a  lawyer.  But  there 
was  no  escaping  the  fact  that  if  she  chose  Justin  in  this 
period  of  need,  he  would  consider  that  she  was  saying  the 
necessary  "Yes."  Robert  Trevor  thus  promised  to  play  a 
stranger  part  in  Gertrude  Breen's  life  than  anyone  could 
have  prophesied. 

Several  times  through  the  long  afternoon,  as  Gertrude 
waited  for  evening,  she  shrank  back  from  the  step  she  was 
about  to  take.  But  her  turning  to  Justin,  she  knew,  was 
no  whim.  Anything  might  have  brought  that  about.  At 
the  same  time,  frightened  by  the  suddenness  of  this  big 
step  in  her  life,  she  hoped  that  Justin  would  not  hurry 
matters,  but  would  give  all  his  attention  to  what  so  much 
concerned  Conny. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  old  housekeeper,  Mrs.  Shep- 
herd, a  stout  body  with  a  round,  grave  face,  hurried  into 
the  room,  having  been  sent  there  by  Conny,  who  had  waited 
anxiously  for  her  to  return  from  a  shopping  trip  in 
Philadelphia. 

"Well,  Gertrude?"  Mrs.  Shepherd  asked,  looking  keenly 
at  the  mistress  of  the  house. 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  21 

"Conny's  father  has  written!"  was  the  reply.  "I  am 
trying  to  keep  it  from  her." 

Mrs.  Shepherd  sat  down  heavily,  with  her  mouth  wide- 
open. 

"I  intend  to  have  Mr.  Mahan  tell  me  how  far  the  law 
can  keep  Conny  out  of  that  man's  reach,"  went  on 
Gertrude. 

The  housekeeper  slowly  recovered  from  her  surprise. 

"He  must  not  get  his  finger  on  the  money  that  is  to  come 
to  her!"  she  warned.  Then  she  asked,  "But  isn't  there 
some  older  man  than  Mr.  Mahan  to  advise  you,  Gertrude?" 
and  immediately  discovered  that  the  question  was  a  foolish 
one,  as  her  extended  arms  to  Gertrude  attested. 

Gertrude  smilingly  refused  to  admit  anything,  and  kept 
out  of  reach  of  those  arms  for  fear  she  would  be  forced  to 
make  the  expected  confession. 

"Well,  there  won't  be  so  many  people  here  now,"  said  the 
housekeeper,  as  if  that  was  an  important  consideration. 
Since  Gertrude  did  not  deny  this  possibility  of  the 
dropping  away  of  the  many  men  who  courted  her,  Mrs. 
Shepherd  was  ready  to  cry  heartily,  "I'm  glad !"  And  she 
left  the  room  to  better  digest  all  the  news,  as  there  was  no 
likelihood  of  Gertrude  saying  anything  more. 

Left  alone,  Gertrude  was  once  more  overwhelmed  by  the 
significance  of  Robert  Trevor's  letter.  It  was  not  easy  to 
face  Conny,  and  she  turned  away  a  little  when  the  latter 
knocked  to  ask  permission  to  go  to  Mrs.  Craigie's  for 
dinner. 

"She  just  telephoned  me,"  the  young  girl  cried.  "Sends 
her  love  to  you,  aunty,  of  course !" 

"Go — certainly !"  said  Gertrude ;  and  as  the  door  closed, 
she  was  ready  to  take  herself  to  task  for  not  having  told 
Conny  everything. 


22  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

There  was  not  the  slightest  resemblance  between  the  girl 
growing  into  a  young  woman,  and  her  young  aunt.  Ger- 
trude was  tall,  dignified,  precise,  with  grave  hazel  eyes, 
which  at  almost  all  times  were  sombre.  Conny  had  gray 
eyes  under  black  lashes,  eyes  constantly  full  of  laughter, 
and  her  growing  body  would  never  reach  beyond  medium 
height.  It  was  a  dancing  body,  restless,  alert,  expres- 
sionful.  If  she  curled  up  at  attention  for  a  moment,  it 
was  with  the  intensity  of  a  wound  spring. 

At  dinner,  Gertrude  was  not  sorry  to  have  her  meal  out 
of  range  of  Conny's  quizzical  eyes.  She  said  but  little  to 
Mrs.  Shepherd  until  the  meal  was  finished.  Then  she  told 
her: 

"I  will  see  no  one  but  Mr.  Mahan  this  evening.  Have 
the  maid  tell  anyone  else  who  may  call  that  I  am  not  at 
home." 

"But,"  Mrs.  Shepherd  saw  a  difficulty,  and  wriggled  her 
stout  body  in  her  chair,  "suppose  he  happens  to  ring  the 
bell  just  when  someone  else  does  ?" 

"That  will  make  no  difference.  He  will  be  admitted,  and 
the  others  not.  I  can't  invite  them  in,  and  then  try  to  get 
rid  of  them !  What  a  task  it  would  be !" 

Nothing  more  was  said.  Mrs.  Shepherd  was  a  woman  of 
few  words.  This  had  allowed  Mr.  Breen  when  he  was  alive 
to  say  of  her,  "Her  silence  carries  great  weight,"  thus  slyly 
referring  to  her  stoutness  as  well  as  the  still  tongue  she 
bore  in  her  head. 

In  the  present  instance,  she  was  the  more  silent  because 
she  did  not  wish  to  make  the  mistake  of  talking  tactlessly 
at  a  critical  time  in  Justin  Mahan's  fortunes,  which  she 
favored.  Her  silence  concerning  the  Trevor  letter  could  be 
patient  for  another  reason.  She  knew  that  when  Gertrude 
would  have  something  important  to  impart,  it  would  not 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  23 

be  kept  from  her.  Mrs.  Shepherd  reasoned  that  Gertrude 
was  evidently  in  great  distress.  Else  why  this  sudden  need 
of  Justin  Mahan,  who  would  know  how  to  use  his 


Twice  the  bell  rang;  and  twice  Gertrude  feli  that  some 
disappointed  man  had  taken  himself  off  in  a  rather  puzzled 
frame  of  mind.  For  it  was  not  Gertrude's  habit  to  have 
them  sent  away  with  a  brief,  "Not  at  home !" 

The  next  time  there  was  a  ring  for  admission,  it  was 
followed  by  the  maid's  appearance  in  the  library,  where 
Gertrude  was  sitting,  with  the  announcement  of  Justin 
Mahan's  name.  He  came  in  with  a  quick  stride,  and  put 
out  his  hand  with  the  hopeful  cry : 

"Am  I  to  have  the  chance  of  finding  you  alone  this 
time?" 

"Yes,  you  are,"  replied  Gertrude  quietly,  and  colored 
under  his  astonished  gaze.  "I  thought  of  telephoning  you 
to-day — when  I  remembered  that  you  were  a  lawyer." 

At  her  invitation,  he  sought  a  seat,  happy  to  have  become 
of  importance.  He  was  on  the  alert  for  her  next  words. 
His  blue  eyes  studied  her  eagerly ;  and  as  he  sat  in  the  full 
light,  he  showed  himself  an  example  of  the  type  chosen  by 
American  artists  as  typical  of  the  American — with  high 
cheek  bones,  a  tapering  face,  and  deep-set  eyes. 

"I  want  more  than  your  advice,"  said  Gertrude,  still 
standing  up.    "I  want  all  the  help  you  can  give  me." 
.    He  was  on  his  feet  at  once,  with  a  little  cry,  which  shook 
Gertrude  as  a  leaf  is  shaken  by  the  wind. 

"No!  No!"  she  said  hastily.  "You  must  be  fairer  to 
both  you  and  myself  in  my  need,  and  must  not  try  to  seek 
any  advantage." 

Being  quite  sure  that  he  had  an  advantage,  he  could  be 
patient.  He  hid  his  great  love  as  well  as  he  could  under 


24  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  ' 

the  words,  "I  beg  your  pardon,  Gertrude.  It  was  a  poof 
way  to  show  you  that  I  might  be  of  help." 

Gertrude  seated  herself — somewhat  out  of  range  of  the 
lamp  on  the  table.  As  she  looked  at  Justin,  she  knew  that 
the  die  was  cast;  that  no  matter  whether  he  would  advise 
soundly  or  not,  that  she  was  for  all  time  after  to  come  to 
him  for  counsel.  Yet  when  she  began  to  speak,  she  had 
herself  well  in  hand,  and  talked  with  quiet  earnestness. 

"It  concerns  Conny — and  her  father,"  she  said.  "I  will 
have  to  withhold  a  great  deal;  you  will  be  able  to  tell 
whether  I  am  withholding  too  much.  You  may  as  well 
know  that  Mr.  Trevor  is  in  Chicago,  that  he  is  now  an  in- 
valid, and  was  an  actor ;  that  my  step-sister  Marie  left  him 
because  he  wished  to  make  an  actress  of  her.  We  have 
never  heard  from  him — until  to-day.  He  has  written  to 
ask  whether  there  is  a  child  that  bears  his  name.  Justin, 
can  he  force  me  to  give  up  Conny  ?" 

He  reflected  a  moment,  putting  aside  his  happiness  at 
being  brought  so  close  to  her  in  her  affairs. 

"Suppose  we  ask  ourselves  another  question  ?"  he  replied. 
"Would  you  want  to  have  a  noise  made  about  this  ? — since 
Trevor  certainly  has  it  in  his  power  to  make  a  noise." 

"No!  No!"  Gertrude  cried.  "There  has  been  too  much 
grief  already !  And  I  would  not  want  Conny  to  know  about 
him." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  she  does  not  know  ?"  Justin  asked 
in  surprise. 

"Nothing.  Have  I  done  wrong,  Justin?  Should  I  not 
have  kept  her  in  ignorance?  You  see,  I  meant  it  for  the 
best " 

Justin  took  a  turn  about  the  room.    He  finally  said : 

"I  doubt  whether  he  could  take  Conny  from  you.    We 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  25 

could  put  up  the  hardest  kind  of  a  fight  against  that.  But 
there  are  other  things  to  be  considered." 

"I  know !  I  know !"  said  Gertrude,  covering  her  face  with 
her  hands.  "I  ought  at  last  to  break  my  silence,  and  tell 
Conny.  But  I  have  never  forgiven  that  man,  because  Marie 
must  have  suffered — terribly !  I  thought  to-day  that  if 
I  told  Conny,  I  might  make  it  possible  for  him  to  come 
and  see  her  every  now  and  then.  I  feel  that  I  ought  not 
to  stand  completely  between  them  any  longer." 

She  threw  back  her  head  to  fight  off  the  tears. 

"Do  you  know/'  she  whispered,  "I  have  even  thought 
to-day  of  writing  that  there  was  no  Conny.  See  how  dread- 
ful I  am !" 

"No.  You  are  only  bewildered,  because  of  your  great 
love  for  Conny,"  Justin  said  soothingly.  "You  feel  to- 
ward her  as  a  mother  would.  But  spare  yourself  all  qualms 
of  conscience.  He  may  simply  be  in  need  of  money.  If 
he  found  there  was  a  child,  it  might  prove  an  easier  method 
of  getting  money.  You  will  have  to  pardon  me,  Gertrude, 
for  speaking  so  plainly  to  you." 

"Blackmail?"  she  said,  shrinking  back.  "You  think  he 
is  after  that?" 

"Perhaps  I  will  be  better  able  to  tell  if  you  will  show  me 
his  letter,"  said  Justin. 

Gertrude  pulled  open  a  drawer  of  the  table  with  trem- 
bling hands,  and  drew  it  out.  Justin  perused  the  letter 
under  the  hood  of  the  lamp. 

In  a  cramped  hand  was  written : 

ME.  PBESCOTT  BBEEN, 

Dear  Sir — When  you  wrote  me  sixteen  years  ago  inform- 
ing me  of  the  death  of  the  woman  who  had  so  unfortunately 
joined  her  destiny  to  mine,  there  appeared  to  be  no  reason 


26  THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE 

for  saying  anything  more,  although  you  gave  me  your  news 
in  a  single  line. 

However,  I  have  never  been  able  to  shake  off  the  feeling 
that  there  was  something  else  which  should  have  gone  into 
that  letter,  something  of  importance  to  me. 

As  man  to  man,  I  ask  of  you  that  you  tett  me  whether 
there  is  some  child  which  bears  my  name. 

I  am  here  in  Chicago,  an  invalid,  living  on  the  bounty 
of  a  friend.  Do  not  believe  I  have  spoken  to  anyone  of  the 
wretchedness  I  brought  your  daughter. 

But  my  purpose  was  not  to  write  of  that.  If  there  is 
some  boy  or  girl  of  whom  I  am  the  father,  may  I  know  of 
it?  Most  respectfully, 

ROBERT  TREVOR. 


"Confound  it!"  exclaimed  Justin,  perplexed.  "Why  was 
he  so  brief?  It  looks  both  trustworthy  and  suspicious." 
He  studied  the  letter  a  little  longer,  and  then  said,  de- 
cisively, "Conny  must  be  told.  She  is  old  enough.  Put 
the  whole  case  to  her.  If  she  stands  by  you,  it  will 
strengthen  your  position  in  any  legal  contest." 

"Justin,  she  would  want  to  have  him  here  right  off!" 
Gertrude  cried  it  once.  "The  novelty  of  it  would  make 
her  thoughtless.  You  surely  know  her !" 

"If  you  gave  her  all  the  facts?"  Justin  asked. 

"But  she  will  regard  all  that  as  past,  and  will  only  re- 
member that  he  is  her  father.  Oh,  I  would  not  stand  in 
the  way  an  instant  if  I  were  sure  that  his  motives  were 
decent.  But  how  could  he  have  changed  so  completely  since 
the  time  when  Marie  had  to  flee  from  him?  After  all, 
Conny  is  mine !  mine !  It  is  I  who  have  given  my  life  for 
her,  not  he !  I  was  father  and  mother  to  her " 

She  paused  abruptly.  The  love  in  Justin's  eyes  was  un- 
mistakable. Her  own  eyes  sought  to  keep  him  within  the 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  27 

bounds  of  the  grave  problem  the  day  had  brought,  and 
forced  him  to  command  himself. 

"So  I  cannot  let  him  come  in  and  get  some  unfair  hold 
upon  her,"  she  went  on.  "I  would  never  forgive  myself 
if  I  did." 

"Well,  let  me  go  to  Chicago  to  see  him,"  Justin  advised. 
"In  the  first  few  minutes  with  him  I  would  know  my  man, 
and  we  would  steer  our  course  accordingly.  We  can't 
delay.  That  letter  may  be  followed  by  another,  and  instead 
of  timidly  asking  questions,  he  may  begin  to  threaten. 
What  did  Marie  say  about  him?  Did  your  father  tell 
you?" 

"She  rarely  spoke  of  him,  it  seems,"  said  Gertrude. 
"She  was  like  a  ghost  in  the  house  when  she  came  back, 
and  I  think  even  father  was  fearful  of  putting  questions. 
What  a  strange  man  this  Trevor  must  have  been !  For  how 
can  one  be  brutal  to  a  person  one  loves  ?" 

Promptly  Justin  declared,  "There  are  all  sorts  of  bru- 
talities. For  instance,  you  are  silent  on  a  question  I  would 
give  my  life  to  have  answered."  He  put  out  a  pleading 
hand.  "Won't  you  answer  it?" 

"Please,  not  now,  Justin,"  she  begged.  "Please,  Justin  !" 
Then  she  said,  "I  am  keeping  you  from  smoking.  Don't 
let  me.  You  will  be  more  comfortable." 

"I  do  want  to  smoke — badly,"  he  said;  "but  you  are 
trying  to  distract  my  attention.  Let  us  compromise.  I 
promise  not  to  tell  you  that  I  love  you  until  the  matter 
relating  to  Trevor  is  cleared  up.  But  after  that,  you  will 
have  to  listen !" 

"I  will  listen  then,"  she  said. 

To  hide  his  great  joy,  Justin  drew  out  his  cigarette  case, 
and  settled  himself  composedly  in  a  seat  for  a  smoke,  al- 
though he  was  shaking  with  excitement. 


28  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"You  have  not  told  me  what  you  think  about  my  inten- 
tion of  going  to  Chicago,"  he  said,  with  a  glad  light  in  his 
eyes. 

"I  will  tell  you.  I  intend  to  go  myself.  That  is  the 
only  way  that  will  satisfy  me!"  Gertrude  exclaimed.  "I 
saw  it  the  moment  you  said  you  would  go.  I  will  make 
terms  with  him.  The  terms  will  depend  on  the  sort  of  man 
he  is.  I  will  gladly  give  him  money  if  that  is  all  he  wants 
—and  then  I  will  tell  Conny." 

"What  if  he  is  not  that  sort  of  a  man?"  Justin  inquired. 

Lowering  her  head,  Gertrude  said  in  a  stifled  voice, 
"Then  I  will  have  to  bring  them  together.  I  can't  keep 
up  this  secret  lying  everlastingly!" 

"She  would  still  remain  here,  and  she  would  remember 
all  you  had  done  for  her,"  Justin  sought  to  lessen  her  pain. 
"As  for  Trevor,  I  will  arm  you  with  your  legal  rights  in 
the  case,  so  that  you  will  be  prepared  to  meet  any  sort  of 
emergency.  You  can  be  trusted  to  carry  the  whole  thing 
through  in  splendid  style.  If  I  didn't  believe  that,  I 
would  insist  on  going  myself!" 

He  continued  to  talk  in  this  strain  to  give  her  confidence. 
Then,  before  he  was  aware,  he  was  discussing  his  own  af- 
fairs, thrilled  to  find  her  listening  intently. 

"The  assistant  district  attorneyship  has  come  a  little 
closer,"  he  said.  "It  will  take  that  to  make  me  forget  the 
sort  of  politics  I  have  to  give  myself  to." 

"Are  you  not  disgusted?"  Gertrude  asked.  "Can't  you 
get  high  position  without  making  this  sacrifice  ?" 

"By  a  means  still  less  honorable — by  spending  lots  of 
money.  No,  that  won't  do.  I'm  in  the  thick  of  the  fight, 
and  I  will  stay  in  it.  But  if  there  is  ever  a  cleaning  up  of 
politics,  I  know  where  I  will  stand!  But  even  for  that 
sort  of  thing,  one  must  have  influence.  And  influence  is 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  29 

bought  by  knowing  all  the  rungs  of  the  ladder  one  has  to 
climb.  So  I  must  not  kick  about  the  appearance  of  the 
rungs." 

Their  talk  went  on  until  they  heard  Conny  in  the  hall 
thanking  a  woman — a  companion  to  Mrs.  Craigie — who 
had  brought  her  home.  Gertrude,  going  to  the  door, 
called: 

"Won't  you  come  in,  Mrs.  Mulholland?" 

Mrs.  Mulholland,  whose  robust  person  boasted  a  pair  of 
rosy  cheeks  and  twinkling  eyes,  stopped  in  the  doorway. 

"Thanks,  Miss  Breen,  but  I  must  be  going,"  she  said. 
"I  was  glad  to  take  the  walk  and  to  bring  Conny  back. 
Isn't  she  growing  up  ?  No  wonder  the  young  fellows  in  the 
neighborhood  look  spruced  up  all  the  time.  Bless  me,  she's 
almost  as  tall  as  I  am." 

There  was  no  pause  in  her  stream  of  talk,  until  Justin 
got  a  chance  to  suggest  that  he  would  be  the  one  to  take 
her  back  to  Mrs.  Craigie's  house.  Somewhat  confused,  she 
looked  helplessly  towards  Gertrude.  It  was  Conny  who 
put  in  a  word  here. 

"If  we  had  to  vote  for  the  most  gallant  man  in  German- 
town,  wouldn't  it  be  Mr.  Mahan?"  she  cried'.  "Well,  I 


"Oh,  but  I  can  go  home  alone!"  cried  Mrs.  Mulholland. 
"Why  should  a  body  like  me,  who's  seen  forty-five  nine 
months  ago,  need  an  escort?" 

As  she  turned  to  Gertrude  to  give  some  message  from 
Mrs.  Craigie,  Conny  slipped  over  to  Justin,  and  whispered: 

"You  haven't  massacred  all  the  other  fellows,  have  you  ?" 

"So  you  believe  that's  the  only  thing  that  would  have 
kept  them  away  from  here?"  he  replied  lightly. 

She  studied  him  with  her  head  at  an  angle,  until,  in 


30  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

justice  to  Gertrude,  lie  said,  "Your  aunt  called  me  in  to 
discuss  business." 

"That,"  she  said  with  marked  slowness,  "might  be  a 
reason  for  paying  her  a  visit.  Are  you  going  to  call  often 
on  business?" 

"Sh!"  he  warned,  with  a  glance  in  Gertrude's  direction. 

"  Oh,  she  couldn't  hear  anything — through  that  cloud  of 
smoke.  It  ought  to  be  good  for  the  bookworms.  Do  you 
know,  Lenny  Craigie  wrote  me  that  he  was  smoking !  Of 
course,  I'm  not  to  tell  his  mother — although  he  didn't  say 
that.  I  bet  he  don't  make  the  baseball  team  now." 

"Don't  you  know  a  fellow  who  was  a  pretty  good  third 
baseman  who  is  responsible  for  this  cloud  of  smoke?" 
Justin  asked  with  a  smile.  "If  you  can  keep  a  secret,  he 
smoked  when  he  was  Lenny's  age." 

"Well,  if  you  are  going  to  come  often  on  business,  I'm 
going  to  have  an  electric  fan  put  in,  and  you  can  smoke 
right  in  front  of  that.  Or  get  one  of  those  new-fangled 
vacuum-cleaners. " 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Mulholland  was  ready  to  go,  and 
Conny  and  Gertrude  saw  her  out.  When  they  returned, 
Conny  said: 

"Aunt  Gerty,  guess  what  Mrs.  Mulholland  read  from 
the  tea-leaves  in  my  cup  this  evening." 

Justin,  believing  that  Conny  was  up  to  mischief,  which 
would  be  a  comment  on  his  being  alone  with  Gertrude,  said 
hastily : 

"The  tea-leaves  remarked,  very  sensibly,  that  it  was  un- 
wise for  you  to  indulge  yourself  with  tea  at  this  time  of  the 
day.  Which  reminds  me  that  it  must  be  rather  late." 
And  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

"That's  all  you  know  about  those  tea-leaves !"  Conny  re- 
plied with  a  toss  of  the  head.  "Those  particular  ones  said 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  31 

that  Aunt  Gerty  would  take  a  long  journey — of  real 
importance." 

Gertrude  started,  perceptibly.    Justin  laughed. 

"It's  a  long  time  ahead  to  forecast  where  both  of  you 
will  go  this  summer,"  he  said.  "Most  prophecies,  anyhow, 
promise  long  journeys.  Particularly  those  of  teacups. 
And  we  must  remember  that  Mrs.  Mulholland  is  a  sailor's 
wife,  although  sailors  nowadays  have  too  much  to  do  with 
steam-engines  and  electricity  to  be  superstitious." 

"I  know  what  you  are  making  long  speeches  like  that 
for,"  said  Conny. 

"Eh?"  said  Justin  blankly. 

"You're  trying  to  make  me  sleepy,"  Conny  declared. 

Then  she  laughingly  slipped  out,  and  all  Justin  could 
say  was: 

"She  leaves  me  feeling  peculiarly  young." 

"Now  you  see  why  we  must  not  be  hasty  about  telling 
her!"  cried  Gertrude.  "If  she  were  more  serious,  perhaps 
I  would  have  told  her  long  ago !" 

"It  ia  true,"  returned  Justin.  "At  the  same  time,  who 
can  say  what  change  a  little  responsibility  would  work 
in  her  ?" 

He  was  ready  to  go. 

"You  have  helped  me,"  said  Gertrude. 

"I  dare  not  believe  my  luck,"  he  replied. 

"I  will  write  to  Robert  Trevor;  but,  Justin,  I  will  post- 
pone my  visit  for  two  months.  Summer  will  be  here  by 
then,  and  I  will  have  the  whole  of  it  away  from  German- 
town  to  plan — after  I  have  seen  him." 

"You  are  a  wizard,"  exclaimed  Justin.  "Perhaps  I  am 
only  imagining  that  I  have  been  of  help  to  you." 

She  gave  him  her  hand.  When  he  put  it  to  his  lips, 
she  said  simply : 


32  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Do  not  fail  me  now  by  complicating  matters." 

So  Justin  held  himself  in  leash,  and  suppressed  the 
words  he  would  have  spoken. 

As  he  walked  down  the  street,  he  was  unconscious  of 
anything  but  the  great  joy  which  suffused  him.  It  was 
intoxicating,  and  he  laughed  loudly. 

"What  a  day  this  has  been !"  he  said  again  and  again. 

As  he  stopped  at  a  gas  lamp  to  light  another  cigarette, 
he  suddenly  staggered,  and  was  forced  to  seize  upon  the 
iron  post  for  support.  Everything  before  his  eyes  became 
wild  confusion,  and  in  the  waving  mass  he  felt  his  footing 
uncertain. 

"Good  God!"  he  gasped  at  last,  as  his  vertigo  began  to 
lessen. 

The  perspiration  stood  out  in  beads  on  his  forehead.  He 
waited  before  he  attempted  to  walk  on,  but  was  hurried  into 
going  for  fear  of  being  regarded  as  drunk  by  a  chance 
passerby.  Drawing  a  deep  breath,  he  sought  to  walk  firmly, 
incidentally  throwing  away  the  cigarette  he  had  lighted. 

"Can  it  be  the  smoking?"  he  wondered,  conscious  of  the 
insomnia  which  had  beset  him  for  several  nights  past. 

"Nonsense !  Nonsense !"  he  waved  off  the  thought.  "It's 
to-night's  excitement  on  top  of  my  overwork.  There's 
nothing  the  matter  with  me.  Just  overwork;  that's  all!" 

At  the  Breen  house,  Gertrude  had  gone  up  to  Conny's 
bedroom,  and  had  discovered  that  personage  comfortably 
fixed  for  a  spell  of  reading.  Fearing  a  rebuke,  Conny  was 
prepared  to  put  up  a  defense  for  the  propped-up  novel. 
None  was  needed,  for  Gertrude  sat  down  at  the  bedside, 
and  put  an  arm  about  her. 

Conny  snuggled  against  her,  and  shut  her  eyes  as  in 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  33 

younger  days  when  she  would  find  rest  in  the  circle  of  her 
aunt's  arms. 

"Listen,  dear,"  began  Gertrude;  "I  have  come  for  a  talk. 
You  must  be  quite  serious.  Oh,  I  know  I  owe  you  more 
than  these  occasional  few  words,  for  there  must  be  times 
when  you  are  really  lonely !  After  all,  I'm  only  an  aunt  to 
you.  It's  a  poor  substitute  for  a  mother — and  a  father ! 
Will  you  always  believe  that  my  love  prompted  me  to  do 
all  I  could  for  you  ?" 

Conny,  amazed,  cried  in  alarm : 

"Oh,  Aunt  Gerty,  are  you  thinking  of  getting  married?" 

Gertrude  said  hastily,  "No!  But  what  difference  in  my 
love  for  you  would  that  make?  You're  to  stay  with  me 
until  you  are  married." 

With  a  great  sigh  of  contentment,  Conny  curled  in  closer 
to  her,  and  nestled  there.  To  Gertrude  this  was  almost 
torture,  for  her  conscience  kept  crying: 

"Why  have  you  never  spoken  to  her  about  her  father? 
Why  are  you  trusting  to  chance  to  right  things?"  And 
Gertrude,  afraid,  murmured,  "I  have  managed  stupidly!" 

She  looked  with  sorrow  at  the  dark  head  against  her 
shoulder,  and  touched  it  lightly  with  her  lips. 

Suddenly  Conny  said,  "Do  you  know,  it  often  seems  to 
me  that  mother  ccmes  into  this  room.  Her  picture  over 
there  is  so  natural,  that  I  can  see  her  right  at  my  side 
here  by  just  closing  my  eyes.  I  never  see  father.  Oh,  I 
know  he  wasn't  good  to  her,  or  you  would  have  talked  about 
him.  Yet  I  think  I  would  have  loved  both  of  them." 

Gertrude  could  find  nothing  to  say.  Her  emotions  al- 
most stifled  her.  When  the  silence  threatened  to  become 
unendurable,  she  managed  to  get  out : 

"It  is  true  that  I  was  only  a  step-sister  to  your  mother, 
but  no  one  loved  her  more  dearly.  If  I  have  been  silent 


34  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

about  certain  things,  it  has  been  out  of  great  love  for  you. 
Will  you  always  remember  that,  if  anything  is  not  clear  to 
you?  And  if  trouble  should  come,  there  are  always  these 
arms  to  protect  you,  dear." 

"What!  Worry  you  with  my  troubles?"  cried  Conny. 
"If  I  have. any,  I'll  laugh  hard  at  first,  and  see  what  that 
Will  do " 

"Oh,  I  must  have  you  more  serious!"  demanded  Ger- 
trude. 

"And  may  I  not  laugh  when  I  want  to?  Why,  it  would 
even  do  you  good  to  laugh,  aunty!"  came  in  the  most 
serious  of  tones. 

"Yes,  yes,  be  happy,  dear!"  said  Gertrude  hastily. 
"Laugh  if  you  want  to — always.  If  you  can  get  happiness 
for  the  asking,  try  to  get  it." 

"Ugh !  That  sounds  like  Mrs.  Mulholland  and  the  tea- 
cups !"  And  Conny  pretended  to  shiver,  although  the  next 
moment  she  was  saying  all  sorts  of  endearments  to  her 
aunt,  down  whose  cheeks  the  tears  were  coursing. 

Conny  tried  by  a  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  connect 
Justin  Mahan  with  this  strange  breakdown  on  Gertrude's 
part.  Then  she  reversed  the  order  of  things  by  holding  her 
aunt  closely,  and  rocking  her,  until  Gertrude  became  aware 
of  this  turn-about,  and  released  herself. 

"Go  to  sleep,  dear,"  she  said.  And  then  she  asked  as  she 
stood  up,  "Would  you  want  to  go  to  Europe  for  the 
summer?" 

"Phew!"  came  from  Conny  in  a  shrill  whistle  to  express 
her  extreme  delight. 

A  little  later,  Gertrude  was  penning  the  following  letter : 
DEAB  MR.  TREVOR— 

Mr.  Breen  has  not  beefc  with  us  for  some  years.  So  I 
took  the  liberty  of  opening  the  letter  you  sent  him. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  35 

It  Is  a  very  important  letter,  and  I  believe  that  the  only 
way  in  which  I  could  do  it  justice  is  by  coming  to  see  you. 
I   will  be  in   Chicago   during  June.     You  will   receive  a 
letter  previous  to  my  arrival. 

Very  truly  yours, 

GEBTBUDE  BBEEN. 

"In  two  months,"  Gertrude  reflected,  "I  will  be  prepared 
for  anything !  If  I  have  to  fight  for  Conny,  I  will  do  it — 
with  all  my  strength  I" 

She  folded  the  note-paper  into  an  envelope,  and  put  it 
under  lock  and  key  until  morning. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  name  of  Craigie  is  a  deathless  one,  not  only  in  the 
American  navy,  but  wherever,  the  world  over,  stories  of 
courage  are  narrated.  Its  fame  had  preceded  Lenny  when 
he  went  to  the  military  academy,  and  during  his  first  weeks 
there  he  had  often  been  made  to  recite  to  wondering  stu- 
dents the  heroic  deed  of  the  Captain  who  was  his  father. 
And  the  same  story  is  retold  to-day  where  naval  men 
congregate. 

It  had  to  do  with  a  certain  afternoon  in  May,  when 
Lenny  was  but  three.  The  cruiser  Niagara  was  coming  up 
the  Atlantic  coast  with  Captain  Craigie  in  command.  Sud- 
denly the  crew  was  startled  by  a  muffled  report.  At  the 
sound,  the  Captain  flung  away  the  cigarette  he  waa 
smoking,  and  hurried  on  deck. 

Flames  were  shooting  from  a  turret.  Below  this  turret 
lay  the  magazine!'  Fire-quarters  had  been  immediately 
sounded,  bringing  the  men  to  the  various  stations  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  but  it  was  an  unhappy  crew,  for  the 
magazine  over  which  the  flames  were  playing  could  not  be 
reached  by  the  flood-cocks  and  put  under  water.  It 
promised  to  be  only  a  question  of  time  before  the  cruiser 
would  be  strewn  over  the  ocean. 

Captain  Craigie's  first  command  was  to  head  the  ship  for 
the  beach,  which  lay  near  by.  Meanwhile,  the  men  flung 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  37 

buckets  of  water  through  a  scuttle  in  the  door  of  the  turret, 
but  to  properly  reach  the  flames  the  door  would  have  to  be 
opened — an  impossible  procedure,  for  this  would  create  a 
draft  which  would  only  hasten  the  explosion. 

All  watched  'with  sinking  hearts  the  futile  attempts  to 
check  the  blaze  by  means  of  the  fire-buckets.  A  hose  was 
now  ready ;  but  to  be  effective,  it  would  have  to  be  directed 
against  the  flames  from  within  the  turret.  For  this  pur- 
pose, someone  would  have  to  crawl  through  the  eighteen- 
inch  scuttle  into  the  small  room.  Every  moment  of  delay 
meant  the  surer  approach  of  the  flames  to  the  magazine, 
and  final  destruction. 

The  Captain  looked  about  at  the  men  waiting  for  some 
word  of  command  from  him.  The  suggestion  on  his  lips, 
that  one  of  them  go  through  the  scuttle  into  the  blazing 
turret  with  a  hose,  was  never  spoken.  He  could  not  force 
himself  to  send  any  man  to  threatening  death,  either  by 
request  or  order. 

Flinging  away  his  cap,  he  strode  over  to  the  door,  and 
with  a  single  effort  sent  his  slim  body  through  the  scuttle. 
This  move  on  the  part  of  the  head  of  the  ship  was  so 
unexpected  that  it  left  the  bluejackets  and  officers  too 
astounded  to  interfere.  Then  not  only  was  it  too  late  to 
head  off  the  Captain,  but  no  one  could  follow  him,  lest  his 
only  avenue  of  escape  be  blocked,  and  return  made 
impossible. 

A  bluejacket  had  been  self-possessed  enough  to  thrust 
the  hose  into  the  aperture  through  which  the  Captain  had 
disappeared.  The  few  seconds  during  which  the  latter  was 
able  to  make  out  anything  in  the  blinding  smoke  and  to 
seize  upon  the  nozzle,  seemed  to  stretch  into  long  hours  for 
the  silent  staring  men.  Then  the  hose  was  drawn  within; 
and  there,  in  the  midst  of  the  flames,  alone  with  death, 


38  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

Captain  Craigie  began  his  fight — below  him  the  magazine 
with  its  tons  of  explosives,  above  him  a  pall  of  smoke. 

Outside  stood  trembling  men,  agonized  by  the  uneven 
combat,  and  watching  for  either  a  lessening  of  the  flames 
or  the  cry,  "Open  the  door!"  It  seemed  impossible  that 
the  Captain  should  win  single-handed  against  the  blaze. 
The  men  were  conscious  that  any  moment  might  sound 
their  death-knell,  for  a  spark  in  the  magazine  would  bring 
the  catastrophe. 

At  last  the  flames  appeared  to  lessen.  The  men  held 
their  breath,  unable  to  believe  their  good  fortune.  Then 
came  in  a  muffled  voice: 

"Open  the  door!" 

Was  the  Captain  about  to  retreat,  beaten,  unaware  that 
he  had  been  close  to  success  ?  Or  had  he  really  conquered 
the  flames?  The  door  was  pulled  open.  The  figure  that 
staggered  out  was  in  a  smoking  uniform.  The  face  was 
blackened,  the  hair  singed.  The  hands  were  bruised  and 
burned,  and  bled  through  the  grime  with  which  they  were 
covered.  Captain  Craigie  had  fought  with  his  hands  as 
well  as  with  the  hose.  But  behind  him  the  smoke  was 
clearing  away.  The  flames  had  been  beaten  down ! 

Eager  arms  caught  the  fainting  man.  who  was  carried  to 
his  cabin,  while  officers  and  bluejackets  burst  into  wild 
cheers,  which  they  took  up  again  and  again.  Pandemonium 
reigned.  The  men  yelled,  and  slapped  each  other  on  the 
back,  and  forgot  rank  and  dignity. 

But  Captain  Craigie  was  not  to  escape  unscathed.  Be- 
fore a  year  was  out,  he  was  forced  to  secure  sick-leave, 
which  he  continued  until  he  resigned  from  the  navy. 
Physicians  feared  for  his  heart.  He  was  advised  to  give 
up  smoking,  of  which  he  had  made  a  habit  during  his 
early  cruises  in  the  Mediterranean.  The  shock  he  had 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  39 

undergone  in  the  turret  demanded  a  composed  life,  a  con- 
dition the  Captain's  nervousness  made  impossible,  and  he 
fretted  away  his  days  in  his  library,  deftly  rolling  his 
cigarettes  as  he  had  been  taught  by  the  Spaniards. 

His  task,  as  he  brooded  over  his  idleness,  was  doubly 
hard,  for  he  had  to  wear  a  smiling  countenance  to  brighten 
his  wife — a  beautiful,  frail  woman.  The  only  touch  of 
color  in  their  lives  was  young  Lenny,  who  promised  to  in- 
herit nothing  of  the  physical  disability  of  either  side  of  the 
house.  His  innumerable  antics  robbed  many  days  of  their 
bitterness  for  the  Captain.  The  latter  rested  easy  when  he 
remembered  how  his  money,  well  invested,  would  take  care 
of  the  boy  when  he  should  have  to  face  the  world. 

"We  won't  make  a  soldier  or  sailor  of  him,"  he  would 
say  to  his  wife.  "Years  of  peace  on  board  of  a  warship 
or  in  the  army  won't  satisfy  him.  There  was  never  a  chap 
as  restless  as  he  at  six.  No,  he's  got  to  have  a  profession 
that  will  keep  him  on  the  go  all  the  time." 

There  came  a  day  when  the  Captain  did  not  rise  from  his 
bed.  He  lay  very  still,  with  the  final  sleep  of  death  upon 
his  eyelids,  while  his  wife  and  boy  clung  wildly  to  each 
other  in  their  loneliness.  All  the  praise  which  follows  the 
passing  of  a  man  who  has  done  a  brilliant  thing,  only  sad- 
dened Mrs.  Craigie.  Her  existence  became  an  untiring 
devotion  to  Lenny,  who  in  turn  fairly  worshiped  her. 

The  shifting  scenes  of  these  years  passed  quickly 
through  her  mind  as  she  waited  on  a  bright  May  day  for 
the  home-coming  of  Lenny  from  the  academy  for  his  third 
summer  vacation.  She  had  risen  from  a  bed  of  pain  to 
watch  the  road  up  which  he  would  travel  in  the  cab.  As 
she  relived  the  past  and  dwelt  on  the  future,  she  was 
less  conscious  of  her  physical  distress.  It  appeared  trifling 
alongside  of  the  griefs  which  she  had  borne  and  the  re- 


40  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

sponsibilities  which  the  future  would  bring.  She  regretted 
not  having  gone  to  the  station  to  meet  Lenny. 

Mrs.  Mulholland  bustled  about,  smiling  and  chattering, 
her  talk  about  the  boy's  home-coming  being  broken  by  a 
lengthy  reference  to  Gertrude  Breen's  departure  for  Chi- 
cago, of  which  she  had  learned  from  Conny. 

Mr.  Mulholland  had  served  under  Captain  Craigie, 
and  had  paid  with  his  life  for  a  brawl  in  South  America. 
His  career  as  a  bluejacket  had  been  a  distinguished  one; 
his  record  of  three  rescues  from  drowning,  of  which  Mrs. 
Mulholland  boasted,  was  no  invention  on  her  part.  And 
when  Mulholland  proved  slower  than  a  Spanish  stiletto, 
Captain  Craigie  had  the  widow  established  as  the  com- 
panion of  his  wife. 

Had  a  stranger  come  upon  Mrs.  Craigie  as  she  sat  on 
the  porch,  he  might  have  addressed  her  as  "Miss."  The 
face  was  young,  and  its  steady,  luminous  brown  eyes  were 
like  those  of  the  boy  for  whom  she  was  waiting.  Her  black 
hair  was  simply  parted  in  front,  and  gathered  up  in  a  great 
heap  at  the  back,  so  heightening  the  suggestion  of  youth. 

The  house  itself  was  two-storied,  and  covered  much 
ground — too  much  for  the  simple  tastes  of  its  mistress. 
Through  the  trees  could  be  seen  the  weather-vane  of  the 
Breen  residence,  with  its  castellated  roof.  Green  leaves, 
green  vines,  green  trees  mingled  in  the  sunlight  to  flood  the 
avenue  and  its  houses  with  a  riot  of  color.  Only  snatches 
of  talk  and  the  heavy  tread  of  Mrs.  Mulholland  disturbed 
the  silence,  the  trooper-walk  of  that  lady  being  one  of  the 
unconquerable  faults  in  her  struggle  for  lady-like  qualities. 

She  suddenly  startled  Mrs.  Craigie  by  hinting  that 
Lenny  might  be  turning  his  attention  somewhat  to  girls. 

"The  boys  weren't  much  older,  not  a  bit,  when  they  came 
courting  me!"  And  Mrs.  Mulholland  started  off  for  a  five- 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  •  41 

minute  word-jog,  which  broke  into  a  trot,  then  a  gallop, 
and  wound  up  in  a  helter-skelter  of  words  as  she  neared 
the  subject  of  Jack  Mulholland. 

Mrs.  Craigie  listened  absently,  her  ears  only  for  the 
sounds  of  the  road.  She  was  slightly  anxious ;  the  last  few 
letters  from  Lenny  had  been  less  cheerful  in  tone  than 
usual,  despite  the  fact  that  the  thought  of  vacation  days 
had,  in  the  past,  always  made  him  wildly  happy.  He  spoke 
of  some  sudden  increase  of  work  at  the  school  as  if  it  had 
proved  too  much  for  him.  She  had  seriously  considered 
telephoning  the  authorities  at  the  academy  to  find  out  what 
this  extra  pressure  at  the  end  of  the  school  year  meant. 
Instead,  however,  she  had  advised  Lenny  not  to  overwork 
in  any  scramble  for  marks. 

Up  the  road  at  last  came  a  cab,  with  a  familiar  head 
sticking  out  of  the  door.  Mrs.  Craigie  exclaimed: 

"Nance,  he  is  here !" 

Mrs.  Mulholland  hurried  down  to  meet  him.  He  leaped 
out,  shook  hands  with  the  beaming  woman,  and  hurried 
past  her  to  his  mother.  The  two  embraced  and  clung  to 
each  other  until  Mrs.  Craigie  suddenly  held  him  off  from 
her  in  alarm. 

"You  have  been  smoking!"  she  cried. 

"Dear  mother,  I  must  settle  with  the  man  if  we  are  ever 
to  get  a  chance  to  talk,"  was  the  "grown-up"  answer  that 
met  her.  He  immediately  sought  to  soften  this  by  saying, 
"Maybe  I'm  not  glad  to  be  home,  mamsy !" 

He  paid  the  cabman,  and  giving  his  arm  to  his  mother, 
helped  her  into  the  house. 

"I  know  you've  got  something  in  the  dining-room  for 
me !"  he  cried.  "Catch  me  taking  time  to  wash  up !  That 
ten  minutes  of  train  ride  didn't  blacken  me.  Honest,  it 


43  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

didn't!  And  after  the  academy  rations,  a  bite  with  you 
would  really  spell  home !" 

He  fell  to  with  a  relish,  all  the  while  smiling  at  his 
mother,  and  repeatedly  appealing  to  Mrs.  Mulholland  to 
agree  that  her  mistress  was  more  beautiful  than  ever.  Soon 
he  was  acclaiming  his  delight  in  getting  away  from  school 
work. 

"If  it  was  only  a  real  military  academy,  mother  !"  he  said 
depreciatingly.  "I  don't  suppose  one  out  of  the  whole 
bunch  is  really  thinking  of  going  to  West  Point  or  An- 
napolis! And  all  the  drilling  and  sham  battles — oh,  what 
shams! — don't  interest  the  fellows.  I'd  like  to  go  some- 
where else,  if  you'd  let  me." 

"But  you  surely  would  not  want  to  leave  the  many 
friends  you  have  made  at  the  academy !"  said  his  mother. 

"Oh,  that  wouldn't  worry  me  a  minute !"  he  replied.  *'I 
haven't  been  awfully  thick  with  many  fellows.  Maur  is  the 
sort  they're  fond  of.  If  I  had  the  muscle,  they'd  toady  to 
me,  too.  Not  that  I'd  like  it,  mind  you!" 

"I  didn't  suppose  you  would,"  said  his  mother  softly. 
"But  I  thought  you  were  getting  along  with  Maur." 

"Oh,  I  tried  hard!  But  I  don't  like  any  guesswork 
when  I'm  making  friends ;  and  he  kept  me  guessing.  Why, 
I'd  have  made  the  baseball  team,  mother,  if  he  hadn't  been 
captain!  Now  you've  got  his  measure!  And- the  fellows 
sided  with  him  when  he  chose  Sinclair  shortstop  instead  of 
me.  I  was  done  with  them  then !  I  wouldn't  mind  a  bit 
if  I  thought  Sinclair  had  played  a  better  game !  Maur 
would  have  all  sorts  of  balls  batted  in  my  direction,  and 
then  jump  on  me  for  an  occasional  error.  When  I  did  do 
well,  he  said  I  was  erratic — as  if  it  was  all  accidental  1 
Well,  you  can  guess  how  it  wound  up.  He  got  my  nerve, 
and  I  went  to  pieces  two  days  running.  But  before  I  was 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  43 

ready  to  quit — I  saw  it  was  Sinclair  for  shortstop  sure 
then-r— I  got  into  practice  the  next  time,  and  accepted 
chances  a  professional  would  have  side-stepped.  The  boys 
clapped.  But  I  was  'erratic,'  you  know !  So  Maur  claimed- 
And  I  dropped  out.  But  say,  mother,  maybe  I  haven't  got 
a  bully  baseball  scheme  for  this  summer !" 

"But  what  did  your  baseball  have  to  do  with  your 
breaking  with  all  the  friends  you  once  had?"  asked  his 
mother. 

"Well,  I  suppose  I  wasn't  pleasant  after  being  kept  off 
the  nine.  It  doesn't  make  a  fellow  happy  to  lose,  .you 
know/' 

"And  is  it  on  account  of  that  you  want  to  change  schools, 
Lenny?" 

"N-no,  not  altogether,"  he  said  slowly.  "But  I'd  rather 
go  somewhere  where  they  are  more  in  earnest.  I'm  tired 
of  the  fake  front  they  put  on  in  the  academy.  There  are 
other  fellows  there  who  are  sore  about  the  place.  I'm  not 
the  only  one." 

His  mother  sat  as  if  spellbound  under  this  new  language, 
until  a  light  dawned  upon  her  mind. 

"Have  they  been  very  disagreeable  there  about  enforcing 
the  rules  against  smoking?"  she  asked. 

Lenny  blinked  a  little  as  he  replied,  "I  guess  a  fellow  can 
smoke  'most  anywhere  if  he  wants  to." 

In  the  silence  which  fell  upon  mother  and  son,  Mrs.  Mul- 
holland  broke  in  by  speaking  of  Conny,  but  the  name  fell 
on  deaf  ears,  thus  somewhat  shattering  Mrs.  Mulholland's 
romantic  notions.  When  the  dainties  on  the  table  ceased 
to  tempt  Lenny,  his  mother  said  in  a  grave  manner  which 
made  him  wonder : 

"Let  us  go  to  your  father's  room." 

He  helped  her  up  the  stairs  to  the  library  where  Captain 


44  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

Craigie  had  spent  his  last  days.  On  the  wall  between  two 
windows  was  a  portrait  of  the  Captain  in  uniform.  Below 
it  hung  a  large  photograph  of  the  Niagara  riding  at 
anchor.  A  letter  from  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
commending  the  brave  deed  performed  in  the  turret,  was 
draped  in  the  country's  colors,  and  hung  beside  the  medal 
presented  by  Congress  for  that  act. 

The  other  walls  were  covered  with  rare  objects  brought 
from  the  four  corners  of  the  globe.  There  were  several 
cabinets  of  curios,  and  a  good  library,  consisting  mainly 
of  sea-literature.  Through  the  windows  of  the  room  could 
be  seen  the  trees  in  full  foliage,  which  cast  a  soft  light 
within  the  room,  and  made  it,  despite  the  odd  appearance 
of  foreign  objects,  a  place  where  one  might  find  peace  from 
the  world  itself. 

Mrs.  Craigie  pointed  to  the  seat  she  wished  Lenny  to 
take.  It  faced  the  portrait  of  his  father.  With  her  hand 
on  her  boy's  shoulder,  she  said: 

"There  is  something  I  ought  no  longer  keep  quiet  about, 
Lenny.  It  will  not  do  to  postpone  it.  You  know  what 
it  is.  I  must  speak  about  your  smoking." 

She  pretended  not  to  see  his  annoyance,  and  went  on, 
"I  thought  of  nothing  else  while  you  sat  at  the  table,  my 
dear  boy.  No,  I'm  not  going  to  lecture  you !  Don't  think 
that!  I'm  just  going  to  tell  you  something  of  which  you 
have  been  ignorant." 

Very  restless,  Lenny  was  ready  to  break  in  and  make 
light  of  the  whole  thing;  but  he  was  impressed  by  his 
mother's  grave  earnestness. 

"I  knew,  Lenny,  that  you  would  pick  up  the  habit,"  she 
said.  "Did  I  look  very  frightened  to-day  when  I  found 
that  you  had?  Oh,  there  was  reason — a  reason  brought 
home  to  me  by  terrible  experience !" 


THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE  45 

Lenny  was  bewildered  by  the  grief  she  showed. 

"It  was  that  habit,  dear,  which  helped  to  kill  your 
father/'  she  finished  tremulously. 

Lenny  became  pale,,  and  sat  as  if  stricken.  As  he  slowly 
caught  the  full  significance  of  what  he  had  heard,  his  jaw 
fell.  He  was  the  picture  of  wretchedness,  and  his  voice  was 
a  whisper  when  he  asked: 

"You — you  mean  it,  mother?" 

"Yes!  I  knew  all  along,  but  your  father  would  not 
believe  it.  He  thought  the  physicians  had  frightened  me 
without  cause." 

Lenny  lowered  his  eyes  .before  his  mother's  evident 
struggle  to  master  her  tears.  She  resumed : 

"When  your  father  stirred  the  whole  country  by  his 
deed  on  the  Niagara,  he  was  already  far  from  a  strong  man. 
It  must  have  been  the  years  of  cigarette  smoking.  Those 
few  terrible  moments  in  the  turret  would  never  have 
harmed  him  as  much  as  they  did  except  for  that.  And  on 
top  of  it  all,  he  had  a  weak  heart.  His  heart  trouble  found 
an  easy  victim !  I  know  you  believe  me,  my  boy !" 

"Why,  yes,  I  do,"  he  replied,  in  hardly  audible  tones. 

"He  was  more  than  a  brave  man,"  went  on  his  mother: 
"he  was  always  a  kind  and  considerate  one.  His  crew 
loved  him.  He  treated  them  like  a  father,  and  was  always 
fair.  He  did  not  play  the  autocrat  like  other  officers.  And 
that  incident  on  the  Niagara  was  not  the  first  time  he 
showed  what  big  things  he  could  do.  When  he  was  at 
Annapolis,  he  took  on  his  own  shoulders  the  blame  for 
something  for  which  three  other  men  were  responsible; 
and  when  they  did  not  have  the  courage  to  own  up  to  save 
him  from  trouble,  he  never  complained,  even  though  it 
almost  cost  him  his  career  in  the  navy.  I  would  not  have 
known  about  it  hadn't  one  of  those  men  come  clear  across 


46  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

the  country,  just  before  your  father  died,  to  ask  his 
forgiveness." 

Some  moments  of  silence  intervened.  Then  Mrs.  Craigie 
concluded : 

"He  could  do  these  wonderful  things,  yet  he  could  not 
shake  off  a  habit  that  sapped  his  very  life !"  She  put  out  a 
hand  to  Lenny,  and  pleaded,  "Surely  you,  my  boy,  will  not 
continue  that  habit !" 

The  promise  sprang  to  his  lips — but  he  withheld  it. 
When  he  spoke,  nothing  could  have  shown  his  mother  more 
decidedly  how  he  had  aged  during  the  last  year  than  his 
words : 

"If  I  said  I  wouldn't,  and  then  I  did  smoke,  it  would 
be  the  worst  kind  of  lying,  wouldn't  it  ?" 

She  waited,  and  he  went  on,  "Father  smoked  a  great 
deal;  I  won't.  I'll  most  likely  have  to  smoke  a  little  at 
college.  Everybody  does.  Only  it  would  be  a  pipe,  I 
guess.  Don't  make  me  promise  that  I'll  quit  altogether. 
I  would  only  be  getting  ready  to  lie !  I'll  stop  for  a  little 
while;  I  give  you  my  word  for  that.  I  wasn't  overdoing 
it,  you  know " 

"Ah,  but  your  father  believed  he  was  not  overdoing  it !" 
cried  his  mother. 

"Well,  but  you  must  remember  that  he  had  a  pretty 
dull  time  of  it  when  he  was  cruising,  and  he  had  to  do 
something!"  argued  Lenny.  "I'll  be  too  busy  when  I  get 
to  studying  law.  No,  you  mustn't  worry  about  me,  mother  ! 
Of  course  you're  right;  but  you  bet  we're  going  to  be 
sensible !" 

To  her,  as  he  sat  there  arguing,  his  voice  and  manner 
brought  his  father  back  vividly.  She  debated  whether  to 
apply  pressure,  or  to  rely  upon  his  honesty.  Would  he 
be  able  to  control  the  habit  ?  As  she  looked  at  the  intense 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  47 

figure  still  talking,  she  was  not  sure;  but  she  sought  to 
control  her  fears. 

"Dad,"  he  was  saying,  "must  have  smoked  when  he  was 
a  small  boy." 

"  Oh,  but  it  isn't  when  one  begins  a  habit !"  his  mother 
warned.  "It  is  easy  enough  for  you  to  believe  that  you  will 
give  it  up  when  you  please !  Yet  he  could  not !  You  must 
grow  up  to  be  a  strong  man,  Lenny,  able,  and  masterful, 
sure  of  yourself,  complete  in  mind  and  body !  It  is  because 
cigarettes  may  keep  you  from  being  any  of  these  things 
that  I  am  pleading  with  you.  Your  father  would  have 
been  an  admiral — and  he  threw  the  chance  away!  God 
knows  I  am  not  saying  it  out  of  lack  of  love  and  loyalty 
to  him !  But  he  did  throw  his  whole  life  away !  So  I 
must  warn  you,  Lenny.  You  must  not  remain  in  ignorance 
of  so  vital  a  thing !" 

Lenny  was  racked  by  the  struggle  going  on  within  him. 
But  the  more  the  matter  was  brought  home  to  him,  the  less 
ready  he  was  to  promise,  because  of  the  honesty  of  his  na- 
ture. 

He  was  afraid,  far  down  in  himself,  that  he  would  not 
be  able  to  stick  by  his  word.  He  feared  that  lying  would 
be  followed  by  more  lies.  It  was  partially  a  confession  of 
the  hold  the  cigarette  already  had  upon  him.  All  that 
seemed  left  to  him  was  to  hide  that  fact  and  to  begin  a 
silent  fight  against  the  habit.  To  promise  to  cease  smoking 
altogether  appeared  to  him  less  sensible  than  to  break  off 
little  by  little. 

He  started  as  his  mother  laid  her  hand  on  his,  and  was 
miserable  under  her  look  of  complete  trust.  He  threw  him- 
eelf  into  her  arms,  crying : 

"Oh,  I'll  try  not  to  let  it  get  a  hold  on  me!    I'll  try." 


48  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

His  mother  stroked  his  hair,  and  said,  "I  know  you 
will !" 

Immediately  after,  as  if  it  was  the  most  natural  thing 
in  the  world  to  say  on  the  heels  of  this,  she  suggested,  "You 
must  want  to  see  your  room.  There  have  been  some 
changes  there.  I  think  you  will  approve  of  them." 

Stifling  under  the  trying  situation  which  had  developed 
BO  soon  after  his  home-coming,  Lenny  was  thankful  that 
his  mother  allowed  him  to  go  to  his  room  alone.  She  was 
now  equally  glad  to  be  alone.  Her  day  of  thrilling  ex- 
pectancy had  revealed  an  abyss.  It  frightened  her,  although 
she  kept  telling  herself  that  there  should  be  no  cause  for 
alarm  when  dealing  with  a  conscience  as  strong  as  Lenny's. 

She  saw  only  one  sensible  course  open  to  her — that  of 
having  him  as  much  a  friend  as  a  son.  If  she  showed  her 
trust,  if  she  made  a  practice  of  facing  him  with  confidence, 
she  might  call  forth  in  him  a  full  sense  of  responsibility 
which  would  serve  him  for  all  times. 

"He  must  feel  that  he  can  come  to  me  always  without 
any  concealment,"  she  said.  "I  must  have  him  respect  me, 
and  to  do  that,  I  must  show  that  I  respect  him.  I  must 
prove  myself  above  suspicion !" 

She  would  have  been  satisfied  had  she  seen  Lenny's  box 
of  cigarettes  sailing  out  of  the  window  as  soon  as  he  reached 
his  room.  He  hardly  looked  about  him.  Instead  he  sat 
down,  with  his  feet  on  the  window-sill,  and  pondered  what 
he  had  just  heard.  An  hour  passed  before  he  attempted 
to  find  an  argument  in  favor  of  his  weeks  of  smoking. 

"Dad  must  have  started  earlier  than  I  to  let  it  get  such 
a  hold  on  him,"  he  said.  "And  then,  with  the  quantities 
of  cigarettes  he  used,  no  wonder  it  affected  his  heart !  No, 
dad  can't  be  my  example — dear  dad!  It  all  depends  on 
the  man.  Doesn't  Justin  Mahan  smoke?  I  wouldn't 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  49 

overdo  it.  And  if  it  ever  hurts  me,  I'll  quit.  Can't  blame 
mother,  though!  Phew,  what  a  lot  she's  been,  through! 
But  there  are  plenty  of  worse  habits  boys  pick  up  that  I 
haven't  got.  Isn't  mother  fine  ?  No  one  could  have  been 
more  careful  about  not  hurting  a  fellow's  feelings !" 

And  so  his  thoughts  rambled  on,  slowly  getting  around 
to  his  father's  exploit  on  the  Niagara.  He  pictured  the 
deed  in  a  new  light — with  his  father  struggling  at  the  same 
time  against  physical  weakness.  It  did  not  tend  to  make 
his  father  less  the  hero.  Instead  Lenny  seemed  to  come 
closer  to  him. 

A  naval  career  never  loomed  more  interesting,  but  Lenny 
put  away  the  idea.  He  had  a  secret  ambition  which  made 
this  out  of  the  question;  it  was  to  be  Justin  Mahan's  law 
partner  at  some  future  time.  He  had  kept  his  eye  on 
that  man's  doings  from  the  day  Conny  began  reporting  his 
visits  to  her  aunt.  It  was  Justin's  cordiality  which  had 
won  him,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  the  lawyer  had  rowed 
a  good  oar  at  college,  and  had  done  still  better  on  the  base- 
ball field.  Justin  did  not  have  a  stronger  sympathizer  than 
Lenny  in  his  efforts  to  win  Gertrude. 

Having  once  seen  him  speak  at  a  public  meeting,  Lenny 
ever  afterwards  found  a  fascination  in  the  thought  of  a 
political  career,  with  its  appeal  to  large  audiences.  He 
often,  in  imagination,  faced  these  crowds. 

As  he  sat  and  thought  of  these  things,  Lenny's  mind 
leaped  enthusiastically  to  the  baseball  project  of  which  he 
had  spoken  to  his  mother,  and  on  which  he  had  spent  many 
spare  moments  since  its  conception.  It  had  come  to  him 
during  the  bitterness  of  his  defeat  for  a  place  on  the  acad- 
emy team,  and  was  first  planned  to  prove  that  he  could  out- 
general Maur  when  it  came  to  baseball.  The  scheme  had, 
however,  gotten  to  be  of  such  importance  that  Lenny  no 


50  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

longer  thought  of  it  in  the  light  of  proving  anything,  but 
sought  to  make  it  effective  for  its  own  sake. 

He  intended  to  organize  a  number  of  baseball  clubs  in 
the  poorer  section  of  Germantown,  as  well  as  to  secure 
grounds  for  their  daily  practice  and  weekly  matches,  and  to 
pick  from  these  clubs  several  teams  to  contest  the  best  ama- 
teur ones  in  Philadelphia  proper.  He  intended  to  see  to  it 
that  these  teams  were  supplied  with  balls,  bats  and  clubs, 
and  that  they  were  rewarded  with  prizes  for  good  playing. 
He  believed  that  the  encouragement  of  this  sport  would 
be  a  help  to  the  boys  of  the  section,  who  might  eventually 
contribute  to  the  ranks  of  the  professional  baseball  in 
America. 

"And  I'll  do  it  if  I  have  to  stay  here  the  whole  of  sum- 
mer !"  he  declared. 


CHAPTER  IV 

GEBTRUDE'S  stay  in  Chicago  had  not  been  a  brief  one,  yet 
during  the  entire  time  Justin  received  no  word  from  her 
about  the  result  of  her  mission.  He  awaited  her  return 
with  more  than  an  attorney's  interest  in  a  client.  She  had 
been  silent  when,  on  the  eve  of  her  going,  he  had  pleaded 
that  she  should  come  back  with  her  mind  made  up  about 
him.  But  when  he  had  put  her  on  the  train,  she  had  said : 

"Before  I  can  begin  to  consider  my  own  future,  I  must 
be  free  of  all  worry." 

These  words  had  shown  him  how  much  depended  on  her 
interview  with  Trevor;  and  so  her  silence  left  him  dis- 
quieted. Why  had  she  not  written?  Had  matters  come 
to  a  bad  pass?  Then  surely  she  needed  his  services  more 
than  ever ! 

Relief  came  with  a  telegram  giving  the  time  of  her  re- 
turn train;  and  Justin  met  the  "Chicago  Limited"  at 
North  Philadelphia.  When  he  approached  Gertrude  on  her 
descent  from  a  Pullman  car  he  found  her  weary,  unhappy 
and  at  first  but  little  inclined  to  talk.  He  took  a  cab  and 
drove  to  a  cafe  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  where  they  could 
be  alone. 

When  the  waiter  had  departed  with  their  order,  Justin 
asked : 

"Well?" 

She  leaned  back  in  her  seat  and  said,  "I  don't  know 
61 


52  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

whether  I  have  acted  like  a  fool !  Yet  there  did  not  seem 
to  be  any  other  way  out  of  it.  After  my  first  interview 
with  him,  I  believed  myself  frightened,  so  I  remained  in 
my  hotel  for  two  days  before  venturing  to  see  him  again." 

As  she  paused,  Justin  said : 

"Suppose  you  begin  at  the  beginning.  When  you  go 
over  the  course  you  have  pursued,  you  will  be  able  to  see 
how  you  have  managed." 

She  told  him,  "I  went  to  the  house,  and  found  him  in- 
stalled in  a  small  room.  He  was  a  nervous  wreck — n6t  a 
very  proud  one.  He  must  be  fifty,  although  he  easily  looks 
ten  years  older.  I  can't  understand  how  he  ever  fas- 
cinated Marie ! " 

"Fifteen  years  will  work  many  changes,"  said  Justin. 

"Well,  he  looked  at  me  in  a  sad  way.  Then  he  mur- 
mured, 'So  you  are  Marie's  sister !  Marie's  sister !'  And 
then,  suddenly,  he  was  crying — just  like  a  child.  I  told 
him  of  Conny.  It  popped  out  before  I  knew  it !  At  once 
he  was  changed.  It  made  him  so  eager,  that  I  grew  fright- 
ened, and  I  said  I  would  have  to  go — that  I  would  be  back 
in  a  day  or  two,  after  I  had  arranged  certain  things.  I 
did  not  lie.  It  was  my  thoughts  that  I 'had  to  arrange. 
They  were  in  such  a  whirl !" 

Justin  was  tempted  to  lay  his  hand  on  hers.  But  the 
waiter  brought  their  order  at  this  moment.  When  Ger- 
trude resumed  the  story  of  her  meeting,  she  was  calmer. 

"I  went  there  two  days  afterwards.  He  told  me  about 
his  harshness  to  Marie.  He  did  not  spare  himself.  Then 
he  asked  me  about  Conny.  After  that  he  sat  like  a  man 
in  a  dream.  At  last  he  asked,  'Can  you  come  to-morrow? 
I  am  not  strong,  and  this  has  shaken  me  rather  badly.' 

"So  I  went  the  next  day.  I  guessed  that  there  wasn't 
much  money  in  that  house.  Still,  Justin,  I  could  not  offer 


THE  TYKANT  IN"  WHITE  53 

any  to  the  husband  of  Marie.  He  did  most  of  the  talking, 
because  I  was  rather  helpless.  I  had  come  to  offer  resist- 
ance, to  meet  him  harshly  if  necessary — but  there  was  no 
one  to  fight !  I  got  to  wondering  whether  he  might  not 
be  allowed  to  get  a  glimpse  of  Conny — in  some  way.  He — 
well,  he  said  that  the  thought  of  seeing  her  unnerved  him ; 
that  he  was  satisfied  to  know  that  she  existed.  He  asked 
for  a  photograph  of  her — asked  me  to  send  it.  And  with 
that  was  ready  to  bid  me  good-by !  I  can  still  see  him 
standing  with  outstretched  hand." 

Justin  stared  at  the  dreamy  eyes  before  him,  surprised 
at  this  strange  ending  to  the  difficult  journey  Gertrude  had 
undertaken. 

"Well,  things  have  certainly  not  gone  against  us!"  he 
said. 

"Ah,  Justin,  but  he  is  coming  here!"  cried  Gertrude. 

Mahan  was  dumbfounded  at  this  sudden  turn.  But  in 
a  moment  all  traces  of  the  effect  it  had  upon  him  were 
gone.  He  asked,  as  if  her  course  had  been  the  most  nat- 
ural in  the  world : 

"How  did  you  arrange  it?" 

"He  is  to  come  here  under  an  assumed  name — as  a 
brother  of  Conny's  father." 

"How  much  of  that  suggestion  was  yours?"  asked  Jus- 
tin. 

"Most  of  it,  I  think.  I  got  to  the  point  where  I  wanted 
him  to  come  to  see  her  under  some  name — not  his  own. 
He  was  afraid  of  the  idea.  I  could  see  that,  Justin !  'As 
a  relative  then/  he  finally  conceded.  It  must  sound  to 
you  as  if  I  had  been  stupid.  When  you  see  the  man,  you 
will  understand  everything !" 

Justin  weighed  his  words  before  he  spoke ;  then  he  said : 


54  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Was  there  anything  in  his  manner  to  remind  you  of 
his  career  as  an  actor  ?" 

"Well,  his  voice  would  get  dramatic  when  he  was  moved. 
But,  oh,  Justin,  I  am  sure  that  I  did  not  allow  him  to  de- 
ceive me !"  was  the  way  she  fought  the  suspicions  he  had 
aroused  in  her  mind. 

"You  are  sure  that  you  were  not  watching  a  fine  piece 
of  acting?"  he  asked  impressively  to  force  her  to  look  back. 

"No!  No!  He  could  not  have  gone  about  it  in  that 
way!  I  showed  him  from  the  beginning  that  I  could  be 
firm — although  I  could  be  just  at  the  same  time.  Every- 
thing will  work  out  all  right,  Justin.  I  am  confident  it 
will !" 

"If  it  does  not,  it  will  not  be  because  I  will  fail  you!" 
he  reassured  her.  "The  first  false  move  he  makes  here  is 
sure  to  alienate  Conny's  sympathy.  As  for  the  rest — well, 
we  must  expect  ihat  serious  conditions  will  bring  serious 
remedies.  When  is  he  to  come  ?" 

"Next  week.  He  will  be  near  Conny!  Justin,  do  you 
realize  that?  Where  father  and  Marie  never  dreamed  he 
would  come !"  she  said  in  a  voice  of  awe.  Then  she  wailed, 
"But  even  that  will  not  stop  the  lies!  To  be  everlastingly 
deceiving  Conny  about  something  so  important  to  her!" 

"Never  mind  that  just  now,"  said  Justin.  "We  must 
plan  how  to  keep  Trevor  from  playing  too  important  a  part 
when  he  does  come.  You  must  arm  yourself  with  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  how  he  treated  Marie.  I  will  consider 
the  legal  moves  we  might  make  in  case  of  trouble.  If  he 
is  playing  some  game,  I  wouldn't  lay  odds  on  his  success ! 
You  had  better  inform  Conny  to-day  of  the  coming  of  her 
'uncle.'  That  will  explain  your  visit  to  Chicago." 

Summing  up  courage  to  tell  her  lie,  Gertrude  faced 
Conny's  welcome  home  with  a  hasty : 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  55 

"I  had  such  a  time,  dear!  And  I've  asked  an  uncle  of 
yours,  on  your  father's  side,  to  come  and,  stay  with  us  for 
a  while." 

"Goody!"  came  with  a  shout.  Then  Conny  fell  silent, 
as  she  guessed  that  further  talk  would  only  bring  up  her 
father's  name.  She  tingled  with  happiness,  however,  to 
have  someone  to  whom  she  might  speak  of  him. 

Of  all  the  boys  who  called  at  the  house  only  Lenny  was 
regaled  with  the  news  of  the  promised  visit  of  "uncle." 
He  displayed  no  enthusiasm,  however,  because  the  visitor 
was  certain  to  use  up  a  considerable  amount  of  Conny'a 
time. 

"You  don't  mind  my  smoking,  do  you?"  he  asked 
gravely,  as  he  produced  a  box  of  cigarettes. 

"Oh,  I  shouldn't  think  I'd  be  the  one  to  mind !"  was  the 
quick  reply. 

Lenny  lighted  a  cigarette,  and  tilting  his  chair  against 
the  wall  of  the  porch,  said,  "It's  my  third  since  I  came 
home.  That's  five  days,  you  know.  Would  you  call  me 
a  cigarette  fiend,  miss  ?" 

"Oh,  I'd  call  you  an  amateur,"  said  Conny.  "Let  it  go 
at  that !" 

"I'll  stay  one,"  said  Lenny;  and  added,  "Seeing  that  I'll 
be  in  college  in  about  two  years,  I  thought  I'd  smoke  some 
of  the  green  out  of  me." 

"Oh,  there'll  be  green  over  you — green  turf — if  you  try 
to  get  all  the  green  out  of  you  that  way !"  was  the  rejoinder. 

Lenny  frowned.  How  could  the  girl  talking  so  care- 
lessly know  the  terrible  struggle  the  three  cigarettes  had 
cost  him? 

"You're  awfully  solemn  these  days,"  she  said. 

"I've  got  my  mind  full  of  a  scheme,"  was  the  reply. 
Then  he  hastened  to  square  himself,  seeing  how  crestfallen. 


56  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

she  was:  "I  can't  tell  it  to  you  until  I've  seen  Justin 
Mahan." 

Bob  Maur  and  several  other  boys  hove  into  sight.  In 
the  rattle  of  talk  which  followed,  Lenny  sat  silent,  because 
the  boys  were  boasting  of  their  athletic  successes  during 
the  past  year.  When  one  asked  him  where  he  intended, 
spending  the  summer,  he  said: 

"Here  in  Germantown,  I  think." 

At  once  the  talk  ceased,  and  everyone,  including  Conny, 
eyed  him  in  surprise,  fully  aware  that  he  was  not  remain- 
ing at  home  for  want  of  money.  At  the  same  time  they 
could  guess  if  he  were  forced  into  staying,  he  would  be  the 
last  one  to  speak  of  it  so  readily. 

"Is  it  that  scheme?"  asked  Conny;  and  then  she  could 
have  bitten  her  tongue  off  for  speaking  of  it  before  the 
others. 

"Planning  an  opposition  military  academy  to  the  Colo- 
nel's?" Maur  got  out  easily,  as  if  he  and  Lenny  were  not 
at  dagger's  points. 

"Oh,  I  wouldn't  think  of  it  unless  you  came  and  ran  all 
the  teams,  and  your  friends  turned  up  to  fill  all  the  nice 
places  on  them !"  was  the  reply. 

Everyone  present  grew  tense.  The  two  principals  were 
equally  so.  There  was  a  retort  on  Maur's  tongue;  but  he 
preferred  to  have  Conny  find  him  courteous  just  when  she 
would  expect  him  the'  very  opposite. 

She  sprang  into  the  breach  by  crowing  lustily,  and  then 
proclaiming : 

"If  anybody  dares  to  make  a  sound  like  that,  he  goes 
home  quicker  than  a  wink!" 

It  was  a  threat  which  enforced  peace.  She  followed  it 
up  by  turning  the  talk  into  calmer  channels. 

Later,  when  Lenny  took  himself  off,  he  could  not  regret 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  57 

his  words,  try  as  he  might.  Maur's  treatment  of  him  dur- 
ing the  academy's  baseball  season  still  rankled.  Lenny 
was  only  sorry  that  he  might  have  created  the  impression 
of  having  taken  Conny  into  his  confidence  about  this. 

He  waylaid  Justin  Mahan  at  the  corner  where  the  latter 
usually  appeared  on  his  way  home  from  the  office. 

"Hello,  Lenny!"  came  with  a  smile,  and  the  thrust  of 
an  arm  for  a  hand-shake.  "Going  my  way?" 

"Long  enough  to  get  something  off  my  mind,"  was  the 
reply. 

Then  Lenny  plunged  into  an  account  of  his  baseball 
project,  to  which  Justin  listened  with  mounting  surprise. 
Finally  the  older  man  stopped,  and  slapped  Lenny  on  the 
back,  crying: 

"By  George,  but  you're  a  schemer!  It  looks  all  right, 
too.  Don't  worry  if  a  whole  lot  of  people  don't  contribute 
money.  Come  to  me.  It  oughtn't  to  require  a  large  sum, 
anyhow.  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  will  stay  on  all  summer 
if  necessary?" 

"If  nothing  else  will  do!  I  think  the  boys  will  stand 
management,  don't  you?" 

"You're  democratic  enough  to  get  along  with  them," 
said  Justin. 

Then  he  was  struck  with  a  thought.  Would  not  Lenny's 
project  be  ah  excellent  way  of  appealing  to  the  voters  of 
that  district  through  their  children?  Why  should  not  he 
co-operate  with  the  boy  ? 

The  next  moment  he  was  saying  to  himself,  "Not  a  bit 
of  it !  I'll  not  play  at  that  sort  of  politics !"  But  he  sug- 
gested to  Lenny,  "If  you  ever  run  for  a  political  office  at 
this  end  of  Philadelphia,  what  you  intend  to  do  this  sum- 
mer might  prove  of  help  to  you.  Boys  grow  up  and  make 
voters,  you  know." 


58  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

He  was  amused  when  he  noted  how  'thoughtful  the  words 
left  Lenny.  But  the  latter,  too,  was  soon  repudiating  the 
idea  that  he  was  to  seek  any  personal  gain  out  of  the  ven- 
ture. 

"The  boys  need  it,  and  that's  all  I'm  doing  it  for,"  he 
insisted  stoutly.  "It's  for  the  good  of  the  place." 

"Ah,  that's  what  all  politicians  claim!"  Justin  replied 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  Then  he  ceased  to  poke  fun 
at  Lenny.  "Stick  by  your  plan,  old  man,  no  matter  what 
opposition  you  find.  If  the  traveling  gets  too  rough,  why, 
call  me  in !  I'll  try  not  to  inject  politics  into  it,"  he 
wound  up  with  a  smile. 

Lenny  caught  his  mood  and  laughed.  When  they  sep- 
arated, he  walked  home  as  if  on  air.  As  yet  he  had  not 
revealed  the  project  to  his  mother,  in  his  desire  to  be  surer 
of  the  details.  That  evening,  however,  he  was  ready  to 
spring  the  plan. 

He  had  a  host  of  compliments  for  his  mother  when  they 
sat  down  to  dinner.  She  was  undeniably  beautiful  in  her 
dress  of  black,  with  her  brown  eyes  quite  dark  in  contrast 
to  her  pallor,  and  her  slender  form  youthful. 

"And  you  are  looking  stronger,  too,"  he  insisted. 

"I  will  surely  believe  it,  now  that  you  are  going  to  tell  it 
to  me  for  a  whole  summer,"  she  said  in  return.  "This  eve- 
ning we  are  going  to  plan  for  our  long  holiday  together." 

"Already?"  he  cried. 

"Isn't  it  time?"  she  replied.  "Why,  don't  you  want  to 
go  away,  Lenny?" 

"We'll,  let's  see  if  you  think  I  will  be  able  to !"  he  said. 

So  he  unfolded  his  scheme,  with  more  enthusiasm  than 
he  had  displayed  before  Justin.  His  mother  sat  very  still 
through  it  all.  When  he  wound  up  with  an  eager,  "Well, 
mamsy?"  she  told  him, 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  59 

"You  make  me  very  happy,  dear." 

"But  you  go  ahead  and  arrange  for  your  summer!"  he 
cried.  "Unless  you  want  to  stay  on  a  little,  and  help." 

"As  your  secretary?"  she  suggested. 

"Bully!"  he  cried.  "There'll  be  lots  of  letters  to  write 
to  people  who  own  vacant  lots."  He  added  with  a  laugh, 
"I  guess  you'll  have  to  be  something  of  a  treasurer,  too." 

"Even  if  it  should  cost  twice  what  you  believe  it  will 
cost !"  she  declared. 

He  came  around  to  her,  and  shook  hands  solemnly. 

"You  can  accept  your  own  resignation  as  secretary  any 
time  you  want  to  quit  to  go  away  for  the  summer,"  he 
hastened  to  say,  as  he  returned  to  his  seat.  "I  don't  in- 
tend to  interfere  any  too  much  with  your  getting  out  of 
town.  In  fact,  you're  not  to  stay  very  long.  It  won't 
take  me  much  time,  though,  to  get  the  clubs  off  the  paper 
and  on  real  lots." 

After  the  meal  he  won  against  the  temptation  to  smoke, 
helped  by  his  excitement,  and  settled  himself  in  the  library 
for  a  series  of  calculations  dealing  with  the  cost  of  base- 
ball outfits.  He  was  soon  drafting,  instead,  a  letter  to  the 
owners  of  vacant  lots  which  he  saw  to  be  of  prior  impor- 
tance. 

Difficulty  with  a  phrase  sent  him  downstairs  to  his 
mother.  He  walked  into  the  great  parlor — and  stopped 
abruptly.  In  conversation  with  her  was  a  man  for  whom 
he  had  always  entertained  an  aversion — one  who,  rumor 
had  it,  would  have  won  Mrs.  Craigie  had  not  the  Captain 
come  on  the  scene. 

Colonel  Richard  Henderson  was  a  florid,  handsome  per- 
son, cordial,  frank,  and  extremely  wealthy;  and  he  had 
never  denied  that  he  was  still  in  love  with  the  widow  of 


60  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

the  brave  naval  officer.  He  got  to  his  feet  with  an  ex- 
clamation of  pleasure  when  his  eyes  fell  on  Lenny. 

"How  he  has  grown !"  he  cried,  shaking  hands  with  him. 
And  he  remarked,  "He  is  getting  to  resemble  you  more 
every  day!" 

"That's  new  to  me,"  said  Lenny.  "I  think  I  look  very 
much  like  father." 

It  was  intended  to  be  full  of  meaning;  but  finding  that 
his  mother,  instead  of  appearing  guilty,  only  displayed 
greater  affection  toward  him,  Lenny  felt  ashamed  of  his 
trick. 

"There  was  never  a  braver  man !"  said  the  Colonel.  "It 
was  a  privilege  to  know  him.  And  none  knew  him  better 
than  I !" 

He  went  on  in  this  vein,  piling  up  incidents  to  show  the 
fineness  of  the  C.-sptain.  Almost  reconciled  to  the  visitor, 
Lenny  was  about  to  sit  down  to  help  entertain  him,  when 
the  Colonel  suggested: 

"Come  over  to  my  place  to-morrow,  and  we  will  have 
Tim  and  Prince  out  for  a  trot." 

Like  a  flash,  Lenny's  distrust  of  the  Colonel's  motives 
in  visiting  them  was  again  uppermost. 

"Thank  you,"  he  said;  "but  I  have  laid  out  some  work, 
which  is  going  to  occupy  all  my  time  to-morrow.  Thank 
you,  nevertheless." 

His  hauteur  was  somewhat  forced,  and  left  both  his 
mother  and  the  Colonel  rather  nonplussed. 

"Oh,  don't  let  me  interfere  with  your  plans!"  said  the 
latter,  with  the  suspicion  of  a  frown. 

Mrs.  Craigie  told  the  Colonel,  "You  are  to  learn  all 
about  them  speedily  enough.  Leonard  intends  that  every- 
body shall — in  proper  time." 

Lenny  refused  tc  warm  out  of  his  chilly  manner,  and, 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  61 

excusing  himself,  slipped  away.  He  made  a  bee-line  for 
the  dining-room,  where  Mrs.  Mulholland  was  dozing  over 
a  magazine. 

"How  long  has  this  been  going  on?"  he  said  abruptly. 
He  had  not  noticed  that  she  was  half-asleep. 

Mrs.  Mulholland  gave  a  start,  and  looked  up  at  the  pale 
figure  standing  over  her. 

"W-what  did  you  say?"  she  asked,  trying  to  look  wide- 
awake. 

"How  long  that" — motioning  toward  the  parlor — "has 
been  going  on,"  repeated  Lenny. 

"Goodness  me,  child,  what  are  you  talking  about?" 
gasped  Mrs.  Mulholland. 

"I  wanted  to  know  how  often  the  Colonel  has  been  com- 
ing here,"  was  the  reply. 

"Oh  !"  And  then  Mrs.  Mulholland,  laying  her  magazine 
face  downwards,  regarded  Lenny  curiously.  She  asked, 
"Weren't  you  allowed  to  stay  there?" 

"What  has  that  to  do  with  it?"  he  demanded.  "Don't 
answer  questions  by  asking  other  ones  !" 

"Yes,  I  will!  Is  there  anything  your  mother  would 
keep  from  you  that  you  ought  to  know?" 

"Oh,  isn't  there?"  snapped  Lenny.  "Then  will  you  tell 
me  why  that  man  looks  as  if — as  if " 

"As  if— fiddlesticks!"  Mrs.  Mulholland  broke  in.  ."Old 
friends  like  your  mother  and  Colonel  Henderson  don't  have 
to  apologize  to  you  for  talking  to  each  other,  young  man!" 

"That  doesn't  tell  me  how  often  he  has  been  coming  here 
lately !"  Lenny  insisted. 

"Well,  all  /  can  say,  Leonard  Craigie,  is  that  he  don't 
come  half  often  enough!"  said  Mrs.  Mulholland.  "Your 
mother  should  have  more  visitors," 


68  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Well,  she's  got  a  big  memory  to  keep  her  from  being 
lonely!"  he  retorted.  "Even  he  was  praising  father!" 

"Was  the  Colonel  praising  him?"  asked  Mrs.  Mulhol- 
land.  It  proved  a  slip  on  her  part,  for  Lenny  at  once 
cried : 

"Surprised,  are  you?  Then  you  have  reasons  for  being 
so !  Oh,  I'll  get  the  correct  facts  from  her !  I'm  no  boy 
now !" 

He  was  too  wroth  to  listen  to  what  he  believed  to  be 
evasions,  and  got  to  his  room  in  a  perfect  fury. 

"Dad — dad  loved  her!"  he  cried,  burying  his  head  in 
his  arms.  Then  he  cried  in  a  stifled  voice,  "Anybody 
could  see  that  she  was  interested  in  the  Colonel.  Oh,  his 
praise  of  dad  wasn't  honest !  Not  a  bit !  He  was  trying 
to  make  a  good  impression,  and  to  stand  in  with  me!  If 
mother  didn't  see  through  that  game,  it  was  because  she 
didn't  want  to !" 

His  suspicions  continued  to  fill  his  mind  until  he  was 
almost  frantic. 

"She'll  always  treat  me  like  a  kid,"  he  complained  bit- 
terly. "Else  why  did  she  jump  on  my  smoking,  when  I 
wasn't  doing  enough  of  it  worth  talking  about?  Just  to 
keep  me  in  my  place ! — a  kid's  place !" 

When  his  mother  passed  the  library  on  retiring,  she  was 
surprised  to  see  Lenny  huddled  up  in  a  chair  sound  asleep. 
As  she  advanced  toward  him,  something  caught  her  eye 
which  made  her  pause  abruptly  in  great  amazement.  Over 
Lenny's  head  she  could  see  her  husband's  portrait — turned 
toward  the  wall !  She  gazed  at  it  blankly.  Some  seconds 
passed,  ana  the  full  significance  of  Lenny's  act  burst  upon 
her.  He  had  interpreted  the  Colonel's  visit  to  mean  that 
the  latter  was  certain  to  become  her  husband. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  63 

In  that  moment  she  was  not  sure  that  in  having  allowed 
the  Colonel  to  continue  his  visits  she  had  not  given  Lenny 
just  cause  for  grief.  Nor  could  she  shut  her  eyes  to  the 
reasons  for  the  Colonel's  visits. 

"But,"  she  insisted  as  she  stood  looking  at  the  sleeping 
boy,  "if  I  have  tolerated  his  coming  here  it  was  because  I 
believed  he  would  prove  a  friend  to  Lenny — the  sort  Lenny 
will  need  in  the  future.  No,  I  would  never  have  agreed 
to  marry  him." 

She  went  over  to  the  portrait  and  turned  it  about  again. 
Her  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  she  looked  at  the  thoughtful 
figure  of  the  hero.  Then  she  came  back  to  Lenny  and 
laid  her  hands  on  his  shoulders.  As  she  spoke  his  name 
he  awoke  with  a  start. 

It  took  him  some  time  to  realize  that  he  was  at  home 
and  not  at  the  academy.  As  he  stood  up  he  guiltily  stole  a 
glance  in  the  direction  of  the  portrait.  The  movement  was 
almost  involuntary.  When  he  found  that  the  portrait  had 
been  righted,  he  was  covered  with  confusion ;  but  instead  of 
hanging  his  head,  he  stared  straight  ahead,  past  his  mother. 

"Lenny,"  she  said,  "this  has  been  a  terrible  misunder- 
standing. And  you  could  not  have  cared  very  much  for 
me  when  you  did  that.  You  are  sorry,  are  you  not  ?" 

Sullen,  he  waited  for  her  to  proceed,  uncertain  as  to 
what  she  precisely  meant  by  the  word  "misunderstand- 
ing." 

A  little  pale,  his  mother  exclaimed:  "Do  you  know  that 
you  have  insulted  me  ?" 

"No!"  came  in  a  high-pitched  voice.  "I'm  sure  I  only 
did  what  I  thought  was  right !"  His  voice  broke.  "You'd 
have  done  the  same  thing  if  you  felt  like  me." 

"You  were  sure  that  you  had  reason  for  feeling  as  you 
did,  Lenny  ?"  asked  his  mother. 


64  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Oh,  how  could  I  have  known  different  ?"  he  cried. 

"You  never  came  to  me  to  ask  whether  what  you  believed 
was  really  so.  Then  you  no  longer  trust  me,  it  appears," 
she  said.  When  he  made  no  answer,  she  began  to  leave  the 
room. 

In  a  moment  his  arms  were  about  her,  and  he  was  saying : 

"Oh,  I  did  want  to  come  to  you!  But  I  was  so  miser- 
able !  I  couldn't  make  out  why  he  visited  here.  And  I 
grew  so  lonely.  I  know  that  I  wasn't  right  when  I  turned 
the  picture,  but  oh !  how  I  was  wrought  up !  I  couldn't 
think !" 

"If  there  was  anything  to  tell  you,  Lenny,  I  would  not 
keep  it  from  you,"  said  his  mother,  holding  him  tightly 
in  her  arms. 

"Then  I  was  all  wrong?"  he  demanded  eagerly. 

She  drew  a  long  breath  and  told  him :    "All  wrong." 

He  dared  not  ask :  "And  will  we  two  always  only  belong 
to  each  other?"  Instead  he  said:  "I  know  why  you  let 
him  come.  You  think  his  pull  may  help  me.  But  we'll 
never  need  that  help,  mother.  I  don't  believe  in  being 
pushed  along.  I'd  rather  start  at  the  bottom  and  work  up. 
Oh,  I've  got  it  in  me!  And  I'm  not  boasting.  A  good 
many  folks  are  going  to  be  surprised  before  I'm  ten  years 
older.  There  won't  always  be  a  Bob  Maur  to  rule  me  out. 
Before  this  summer  is  up  I'll  show  them  that  it  don't  take 
an  overgrown  bully  to  do  things !" 

His  manner  was  that  of  one  who  had  been  wronged.  Evi- 
dently he  was  still  smarting  over  his  defeat  for  a  place  on 
the  baseball  team.  Feeling  that  there  was  no  conceit  be- 
hind his  words,  only  determination,  his  mother  smiled 
cheerily  at  him. 

"More  important  than  all  this  just  now  is  that  you. 


THE  TYHANT  IN  WHITE  65 

and  I,  dear  boy,  should  never  do  things  blindly,"  she  ad- 
monished him. 

"No!  no!  It  was  a  mistake !  I  was  excited.  You  see, 
when  I  thought  I  might  lose  you,  I  lost  hold  of  myself. 
There  was  another  reason,  too,"  he  said. 

They  turned  at  the  same  moment  and  looked  at  the  por- 
trait of  the  hero  of  the  Niagara. 

Mrs.  Craigie  knew  that  the  memory  of  her  husband  was 
"the  other  reason." 

"As  if  I  could  ever  forget!"  she  breathed. 

Lenny's  eyea  glowed  at  the  words. 


CHAPTER  V 

LIVING  under  a  constant  strain,  yet  bravely  concealing 
all  signs  of  it,  Gertrude  Breen  kept  asking  herself  as  she 
awaited  the  coming  of  Trevor : 

"What  if  Justin  was  right?  What  if  Trevor  was  only 
acting?  What  if  he  appears  here  only  ta  create  a  scandal 
by  throwing  off  his  mask?" 

She  kept  her  fears  from  Justin ;  but  he  had  no  difficulty 
in  guessing  her  unrest.  While  he  was  ready  to  cry  "  Con- 
found Trevor !"  he  could  not  overlook  the  debt  he  owed  that 
man.  Had  there  been  no  Trevor,  Gertrude  might  have  re- 
frained from  expressing  any  preference  among  the  men 
who  sought  her  hand.  Her  youth  would  have  frightened 
her  out  of  any  decision.  As  it  was,  Trevor  had  frightened 
her  into  one. 

Justin  did  not  prove  as  much  of  a  help  to  Gertrude  in  her 
difficulty  as  he  would  have  wished.  Unexpected  difficulties 
of  his  own  had  arisen,  both  in  his  law  work  and  in  the 
politics  of  his  ward.  He  found  that  he  was  not  going 
forward  with  any  smoothness.  Somehow  it  required  more 
labor  on  his  part  to  get  things  done  than  ever  before.  He 
believed  he  needed  a  rest,  and  he  looked  forward  anxiously 
to  getting  away  for  several  weeks  during  the  summer. 

All  of  this  he  kept  from  Gertrude,  certain  that  there 
was  no  reason  for  worry.  On  one  occasion,  when  he  learned 
of  the  failure  of  a  fellow  attorney,  and  heard  it  attributed 
66 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  67 

to  excessive  cigarette  smoking,  he  hesitated  the  next  time 
he  put  his  hand  on  his  cigarette-case.  Then  he  laughed  the 
whole  matter  off. 

"With  my  physique,  any  serious  breakdown  would  be 
impossible!"  he  insisted. 

Gertrude  had  only  one  topic  of  conversation  when  they 
were  alone — how  they  were  to  manage  with  Robert  Trevor. 
The  latter  had  written  to  her  that  the  "Robert"  was  to 
become  "John."  At  the  same  time  he  had  asked  for  ad- 
vice concerning  his  behavior  in  the  house — whether  he 
could  walk  out  after  dusk ;  if  he  might  not  have  his  meals 
in  his  room,  so  as  not  to  disturb  her  at  the  table ;  if  he  could 
address  Conny  by  her  first  name; — and  other  matters 
which  he  considered  of  great  importance. 

Far  from  being  delighted  by  this  thoughtfulness,  Ger- 
trude was  only  made  the  more  uncomfortable.  If  Trevor 
was  not  acting  a  part,  and  if  he  was  really  sincere,  how 
long  would  she  be  able  to  keep  the  truth  from  coming  out? 
Would  not  Conny  so  endear  herself  to  him  as  to  force  him 
to  reveal  everything? 

"When  he  comes  he  will  be  the  real  master  of  the  situa- 
tion, not  I,"  she  declared.  Then  she  exclaimed:  "Oh,  I 
am  a  weak  girl !  I  can  no  longer  count  on  my  pride.  Per- 
haps I  would  not  be  so  afraid  of  the  consequences  if  I  had 
made  this  place  more  of  a  home  for  Conny !" 

She  could  not  deny  that  this  last  self-accusation  was  an 
injustice  to  herself.  Where  other  girls  had  used  their  in- 
comes to  chase  wildly  after  social  position  and  then  to 
worry  about  a  still  higher  footing  in  society,  she  had  given 
all  her  attention  to  her  home. 

At  the  root  of  all  the  distress  she  felt  lay  the  continual 
falsehoods  to  which  she  had  to  resort  in  preparing  Conny 
for  the  arrival  of  her  uncle.  Conny  showed  agitation  when 


68  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

the  eventful  day  approached,  and  she  dismayed  her  aunt  by 
asking: 

"I'm  not  to  talk  to  him  about  father,  am  I  ?" 

"I  think  it  would  disturb  your  uncle  very  much  if  you 
did,"  was  the  answer.  "You  are  no  longer  a  child,  dear; 
BO  I  can  trust  you  to  be  sensible.  If  you  believe  that  every 
one  concerned  would  be  happier  if  you  were  not  curious, 
don't  you  think  you  should  not  be?" 

As  if  to  prove  to  Conny  that  she  trusted  her,  Gertrude 
did  the  daring  thing  of  sending  her  to  the  station  to  meet 
her  "uncle." 

"They  will  have  to  see  each  other  to-day,  anyhow,"  Ger- 
trude reasoned.  "I  will  begin  by  showing  that  I  place  con- 
fidence in  him.  If  he  intends  to  make  trouble,  I  can't  keep 
him  from  it.  Let  him  start  right  there  and  then.  The 
sooner  the  better,  if  it  must  be !" 

Her  courage  forsook  her  somewhat  when  the  carriage 
disappeared  from  view  with  Conny.  The  latter  could 
hardly  keep  her  seat  during  the  ride.  People  looked  twice 
at  the  beribboned  girl,  and  wondered  at  her  visible  excite- 
ment. She  chanced  upon  Lenny,  and  called: 

"See  you  later!" 

"Not  to-day!    I'm  too  busy!"  he  shouted  in  return. 

The  station  was  alive  with  people  beginning  their  exodus 
to  the  summer  resorts.  Among  these  Conny  moved  rest- 
lessly as  she  kept  a  lookout  for  the  train  which  was  to 
bring  her  "uncle."  When  they  questioned  her,  she  unhesi- 
tatingly told  them  for  whom  she  was  waiting.  The  re- 
sult was  a  buzz  of  wonder  among  the  various  groups,  who 
were  well  acquainted  with  her  mother's  elopement  seven- 
teen years  before.  They  regretted  that  their  train,  now 
coming  into  sight,  went  out  before  the  arrival  of  the  one 
which  was  to  bring  Conny's  relative. 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  69 

When  his  finally  pulled  up  at  the  station,  there  alighted 
a  tall,  slim  man,  tightly  buttoned  into  a  long  coat  which 
looked  both  new  and  hastily  fitted.  A  brown  soft  hat,  also 
new,  covered  a  well-formed  head,  and  from  under  the  hat 
straggled  black  hair,  plentifully  besprinkled  with  gray. 
The  face  was  lined,  the  eyes  dark  and  capable  of  a  great 
range  of  emotion.  There  was  a  slight  stoop  to  the  shoul- 
ders. 

He  looked  about  him  with  almost  childish  timidity. 
Conny  knew  instinctively  that  this  was  her  uncle. 

As  she  accosted  him,  he  trembled. 

"You're  my  Uncle  John,  aren't  you?"  she  asked. 

He  was  deathly  white  as  he  removed  his  hat  with  shaking 
fingers  and  bowed  in  a  half-dignified,  half-uncertain  sort 
of  way. 

"Is — is  this  Constance?"  he  murmured. 

She  bowed  in  return  with  a  gravity  which  would  have 
made  her  aunt  stare.  Just  as  she  was  about  to  make  a  care- 
less remark,  she  caught  sight  of  two  tears  stealing  down 
the  tall  man's  cheeks.  It  left  her  speechless. 

"Can  we  go?"  hastily  asked  Trevor. 

Still  at  a  loss  before  the  emotion  he  displayed,  Connie 
humbly  led  the  way  to  the  carriage.  He  handed  her  in 
with  a  hand  which  shook.  Once  the  carriage  was  under 
way,  Conny  was  more  at  ease.  Trevor,  however,  was  trem- 
ulous with  the  emotion  which  surged  through  him. 

"Did  you  ever  look  anything  like  my  father?"  was  the 
first  question  put  to  him.  Even  as  she  said  it,  Conny  was 
shamed  by  the  thought  of  the  disapproval  it  would  have 
excited  in  her  aunt. 

Until  she  spoke,  Trevor  had  stared  straight  ahead.  Now 
he  gathered  himself  together  with  a  great  effort,  and  draw- 


70  THE  TYRANT  IS  WHITE 

ing  a  long  breath,  he  turned  his  eyes  upon  her.  Then  he 
gasped : 

"Why,  you  are  the  very  picture  of  your  mother !" 

Conny,  now  somewhat  more  herself,  asked:  "Is  that 
a  compliment?  Or  do  all  actors  carry  on  like  that  when 
they  aren't  acting?  You'll  teach  me  to  act,  won't  you, 
uncle?" 

"No!"  came  with  startling  sharpness.  Trevor  passed 
his  hand  over  his  forehead  and  said  quickly:  "I  under- 
stand that  I'm  to  live  very  quietly  here.  You  see,"  he  ex- 
plained, "I  am  neither  very  strong,  nor  very  young." 

He  dared  not  look  at  her  again.  When  she  laid  a  hand 
on  his  arm,  he  almost  shrank  away. 

"Aren't  there  any  lively  old  men?"  she  asked.  "Don't 
you  think  I'll  always  he  a  gad-about  ?  If  you  believe  we'll 
have  time  to  be  solemn,  you're  mighty  mistaken !  Oh,  to 
think  you'll  be  able  to  tell  me  all  about  the  stage !  Why, 
it'll  be  better  than  a  book !" 

"The  stage!"  murmured  Trevor.  "Ah,  child,  I  can  un- 
derstand what  pleasure  you  might  derive  from  talks  about 
it — but,"  he  said  with  finality  in  his  tone,  "we  will  not 
talk  about  it !  I  would  rather,  if  you  cared  to  spend  an  ac- 
casional  hour  with  me,  we  used  it  in  some  other  way." 

He  anxiously  awaited  her  reply. 

"Oh,  we'll  have  lots  of  hours!  And  we'll  get  mighty 
chummy,  too,  never  fear !"  she  cried.  Then  she  risked, 
"You  will  tell  me  about  father,  too,  won't  you?  I  don't 
know  a  thing  about  him." 

"Nothing?"  came  in  a  faltering  voice.  When  she  shook 
her  head,  he  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief.  Immediately 
afterward  he  cried:  "Better  that  you  should  not!  He 
may  have  been  admirable  as  an  actor,  but  praise  would  have 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  71 

to  stop  there.  No,  we  will  not  talk  about  him,  Con- 
stance !" 

"  Oh,  how  pretty  that  sounded !"  she  exclaimed,  clapping 
her  hands.  "Con — stance!  Why,  it  was  beautiful!" 

"And  you,  too,  are  beautiful !  That  name  was  just  what 
your  mother  should  have  found  for  you,"  said  Trevor  soft- 

iy. 

When  he  lowered  his  voice  it  was  hoarse  and  rather 
broken.  When  he  raised  it,  it  had  both  musical  power  and 
dramatic  force. 

Another  disturbing  question  was  put  to  him: 

"Was  father  a  better  actor  than  you,  uncle?  Honor 
bright,  now !" 

Trevor  smiled  sadly  as  he  said:  "As  good  an  actor,  cer- 
tainly." And  he  stole  a  glance  at  the  small,  radiant  figure 
at  his  side,  and  then  became  filled  with  strange  awe.  Her 
prattle  had  kept  him  from  feeling,  in  all  its  intensity,  the 
wonder  of  seeing  his  child  for  the  first  time. 

They  were  near  the  house  now.  Trevor's  uneasiness  was 
quite  pronounced.  At  the  same  time  he  was  not  sure  that 
he  was  not  moving  in  some  dream.  When  the  carriage 
stopped,  he  glanced  toward  the  great  house  without  seeing 
it,  and  then  handed  Conny  out  almost  mechanically. 

"Go  before  me,  me  lord!"  Conny  got  off  in  an  august 
tone,  which  she  had  practiced  for  just  that  occasion. 

She  laughed  merrily;  but  Trevor's  form  drooped  as  he 
ascended  the  steps  of  the  porch  where  Gertrude  stood  scru- 
tinizing both  father  and  daughter.  There  was  a  formal 
exchange  of  greetings,  and  a  little  later  Trevor  was  being 
shown  to  his  room  by  the  housekeeper,  while  Conny  obeyed 
her  aunt's  imperative  gesture  to  remain  below. 

The  cool  manner  in  which  her  uncle  was  received  was 
a  surprise  to  Conny.  Gertrude  had  not  intended  to  display 


72!  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

this  lack  of  cordiality,  but  when  she  saw  the  gaunt  figure  of 
the  man  coming  toward  the  house  whose  peace  he  had  de- 
stroyed, she  could  not  stifle  her  resentment.  The  memory 
of  Marie  and  her  sad  fate  had  intruded  to  crush  out  for 
the  moment  Gertiude's  natural  kindliness. 

She  had  a  moment  of  apprehension  while  she  waited 
for  Conny  to  speak.  Had  Trevor  begun  to  undermine  the 
peace  of  the  household  ? 

"Isn't  he  a  queer  fellow?"  said  Conny.  "Actors  now- 
adays aren't  like  that!  They  don't  look  as  if  they  had 
swapped  clothes  with  somebody  else  by  mistake  the  way 
uncle  does.  And  as  if  they  were  going  to  sob  right  out 
in  company !" 

Gertrude  breathed  somewhat  easier. 

"I  expect  you  to  treat  him  with  respect,"  she  said.-  "He 
is  not  a  young  man." 

"Oh,  he's  not  a  very  old  one,"  replied  Conny.  "And 
he'll  look  better  when  he  gets  a  couple  of  good  meals  in 
him  and  gets  rested  up.  I've  heard  lots  about  starved 
actors ;  but  he  looks  as  if  he  had  starved  for  ages !  I  tried 
to  liven  him  up  a  bit !" 

Taken  aback,  Gertrude  cried,  "You  must  behave  with 
dignity  towards  him !  He  will  believe  you  were  spoiled 
when  he  sees  what  manners  you  have !" 

"I'll  make  him  so  jolly  happy,  he  won't  worry  about  my 
manners,"  Conny  persisted. 

"But  he  might  want  quiet,"  Gertrude  argued.  "You 
must  not  be  thoughtless.  Why  should  you  be  so  irrespon- 
sible when  I  have  to  rely  on  your  good  sense ?  To  find  you 
but  a  child " 

Conny  threw  her  arms  about  her  to  check  the  words, 
and  Gertrude  held  her  tightly  to  herself  that  it  might  ease 
the  pain  caused  by  the  part  she  was  playing.  Then  she 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  73 

went  to  see  that  refreshments  were  sent  up  to  the  tired 
traveler.  When  she  came  back  to  Conny,  Justin  Mahan 
was  awaiting  her. 

Aware  that  the  arrival  of  Trevor  must  prove  a  trial 
for  her,  he  had  put  aside  his  work,  and  had  hastened  to 
her,  even  though  she  had  given  no  sign  of  her  need  of  him. 
After  their  handshake,  an  exchange  of  glances  between 
them  sufficed.  Justin  said: 

"Conny  was  telling  me  that  she  has  made  good  friends 
with  the  old  gentleman.  He  wouldn't  be  human  if  she 
didn't  worm  herself  into  his  confidence — of  course !" 

"I  tried  to  get  him  to  talk  about  the  theatre,"  said 
Conny.  "Oh,  if  I  ever  cared  to  become  an  actress, 
wouldn't  it  be  jolly  to  know  all  he  could  tell  me?" 

It  fell  with  bomb-like  effect  upon  Gertrude's  ears. 

"Nonsense!"  she  cried  vehemently.  "Never  bring  up 
that  topic  when  you  talk  to  him!  If  I  find  that  you  do, 
you  will  not  be  allowed  to  see  him!" 

Stunned  by  the  outburst,  Conny  could  only  look  to  Jus- 
tin to  smooth  matters  over.  He  said: 

"Gertrude,  you  can  rely  on  Conny's  good  sense.  I  think 
she  is  willing  right  now  to  give  us  her  word  she  won't  do 
anything  stupid!" 

Conny  promised  to  do  so — "To  the  best  of  my  ability!" 
She  went  on  to  explain,  "I  thought  I'd  talk  about  things 
which  would  interest  him.  As  he  had  been  an  actor,  didn't 
it  seem  right  to  ask  him  about  the  theatre  ?  If  you  think 
he's  going  to  be  on  your  hands  this  summer,  aunty,  when 
we  go  away,  you're  mistaken !  I'll  take  care  of  him !  He 
needs  sprucing  up,  and  I'll  make  him  look  like  a  young 
'un!" 

And  Conny  took  herself  off,  whistling. 


74  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

"Now  you  see  how  much  we  are  at  Trevor's  mercy!" 
cried  Gertrude. 

"Not  yet,"  said  Justin.  "Not  if  we  seek  to  develop  a 
sense  of  responsibility  in  Conny  in  preparation  for  telling 
her  the  truth.  She  loves  the  very  thought  of  her  mother. 
And  she  has  only  a  sort  of  curiosity  about  Trevor.  You 
will  be  with  her  every  day.  The  moment  you  see  this 
curiosity  become  something  stronger,  be  ready  to  tell  her 
of  the  treatment  her  mother  received.  I  intend  to  see 
Trevor  to-day,  and  to  gently  hint  that  I  am  a  lawyer.  I 

wish  I  could  tell  him  that  you  and  I "  He  broke  off  to 

look  at  her  entreatingly. 

"Not  yet,  Justin,"  she  pleaded.     "Not  yet.    Please!" 

Here  Conny  came  back  from  dismissing  several  boys  who 
had  dropped  in  on  her. 

"Say,  Mr.  Justin  Mahan,  do  you  know  anything  about 
Mr.  Leonard  Craigie?"  she  inquired  solemnly. 

"Isn't  paying  much  attention  to  you  lately,  is  he?"  he 
replied. 

"Oh,  I  wouldn't  say  that!  He  isn't  paying  any  atten- 
tion. When  you  meet  him,  he  runs  off  shouting,  'I  haven't 
any  time  to  waste  to-day !'  And  there  you  are !  What's 
he  up  to  ?  Or  shall  I  find  out  from  his  mother  ?" 

"Lenny  is  loaded  with  a  big  project  which  will  use  up  a 
great  deal  of  his  time  and  gray  matter,  young  lady,"  said 
Justin.  "I  would  advise  you  not  to  scold  him.  It  inter- 
feres with  a  man's  usefulness." 

Conny  eyed  him  mockingly.  "As  if  Lenny  was  going  to 
be  particularly  useful  just  because  he  was  in  a  hurry !"  she 
retorted. 

" Oh,  but  he  is !"  said  Justin,  serious  now.  "He  is  going 
to  get  together  all  the  boys  in  Germantown  who  want  to 
play  ball,  and  who  haven't  a  place  to  play  it,  nor  the  nee- 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  75 

essary  gloves,  maeks,  nor  suits  to  make  them  look  like 
ball  players.  In  other  words,  our  Lenny  is  branching  out 
as  a  philanthropist,  although  he'd  cut  you  dead  if  you  told 
him  so.  All  this  is  between  ourselves!  You're  not  to 
blab  what  you've  heard,  mind  you !" 

Aglow  with  enthusiasm,  Conny  gave  vent  to  several 
cheers.  Before  she  could  interpose  a  word,  Justin  had 
started  off  in  praise  of  baseball. 

"I  am  half-sorry  that  when  I  left  college  I  refused  an 
offer  of  doing  professional  ball  in  summer,"  he  said.  "The 
men  going  into  the  game  to-day  are  not  of  the  'tough'  va- 
riety; and  the  college  man  could  raise  the  social  status  of 
the  game.  I'd  jump  at  the  chance  of  investing  in  a  base- 
ball club,  and  of  helping  this  great  outdoor  game.  Base- 
ball is  going  to  take  the  American  people  more  into  the 
open,  with  a  corresponding  increase  of  health." 

"And  Lenny  got  his  notion  all  out  of  his  own  head?" 
asked  Conny. 

"So  it  seems.  I  guess  he  isn't  thinking  of  any  vacation. 
It  will  be  his  making,  though,"  commented  Justin.  "When 
a  boy  gets  a  grip  on  himself  like  that,  he  don't  fall  by  the 
wayside,  as  a  rule,  later  in  life.  Now  everybody  about  here 
thinks  that  Bob  Maur  is  going  to  bring  honor  to  the  com- 
munity. I  trust  Lenny  to  make  a  better  showing — cer- 
tainly a  cleaner  one.  Which  shows  I  dislike  Maur — and  I 
am  not  going  to  apologize  for  it." 

Here  Conny  ventured  on  a  defence,  without,  however, 
drawing  Justin  into  an  argument.  He  had  no  wish  to  dis- 
turb her  friendships.  When  Conny  said  that  she  wished  to 
go  up  and  see  her  uncle,  Justin  interposed : 

"I  was  about  to  do  it  myself,"  he  said.  "I  think  he 
wants  to  talk  to  a  man  for  a  little  while.  It  would  be  like 


76  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

a  man  to  do  so,  after  a  tiresome  journey,  during  which  he 
most  likely  kept  very  quiet." 

"Dollars  to  doughnuts  you  talk  about  the  theatre!"  ex- 
claimed Conny. 

"Certainly — if  he  won't  talk  about  anything  else,"  Jus- 
tin replied. 

Gertrude  followed  him  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and 
thanked  him  for  what  he  was  about  to  do. 

"I  haven't  yet,"  he  told  her.  "I  am  on  a  journey  of 
discovery.  If  he  holds  out  a  chance  of  peace,  I'll  promptly 
make  peace!" 

"For  Conny's  sake!"  said  Gertrude.  "As  for  me — well, 
his  presence  will  always  be  too  terrible  a  reminder  of  the 
past." 

Justin  was  grave  when  he  knocked  upon  Trevor's  door. 
The  actor  received  him  with  a  sort  of  confused  dignity. 
Justin  introduced  himself  as  a  "close  friend  to  Miss  Breen 
— a  very  close  friend,  who  has  the  interest  of  both  Conny 
and  Miss  Breen  at  heart,  and  who  knows  of  your  relation- 
ship to  Conny." 

He  studied  the  drooping  figure  as  he  spoke;  and  before 
he  had  finished  introducing  himself,  he  had  decided  that 
he  would  not  frighten  Trevor  by  revealing  the  fact  that  he 
was  a  lawyer.  In  the  passage  of  those  few  moments,  Jus- 
tin saw  why  Gertrude  had  been  influenced  to  allow  Trevor 
to  come  from  Chicago.  Nothing  of  guile  could  be  con- 
cealed behind  the  actor's  candid  exterior,  not  even  if  he 
was  the  most  consummate  actor  in  the  world.  Only  great 
suffering  was  apparent  in  the  visage  and  bearing  of  the 
sad,  quiet  personage. 

Justin  exclaimed  mentally,  "The  issue  will  be  peace!" 

He  extended  his  cigarette-case  to  the  nervous  man.  The 
actor  courteously  thanked  him,  but  refused. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  77 

"I  broke  myself  of  smoking,"  he  hastened  to  explain 
apologetically,  "when  I  found  how  it  was  increasing  the 
nervousness  which  finally  drove  me  from  the  stage.  Will 
you  kindly  be  seated?  I  wish  indeed  to  talk  to  you  if  you 
are  in  the  confidence  of  Miss  Breen.  I  want  to  have  myself 
understood,  particularly  as  I  have  found  Miss  Breen  an 
unusual  woman  for  her  years,  and  since  much  of  my  des- 
tiny will  depend  upon  her  good  will." 

"  Conny's  aunt  has,  among  other  qualities,  a  fine  sense  of 
justice,"  Justin  remarked.  "She  may  sometimes  be  at  a 
loss  how  to  face  a  trying  situation,  but  she  will  act  thought- 
fully and  justly.  Depend  upon  it,  she  will  in  the  end  be- 
come your  ally  in  your  difficulties." 

For  a  time  Trevor  stood  motionless,  buried  in  thought. 
Then  his  lips  murmured  in  gratitude,  "Thank  God!" 

He  dropped  into  a  chair  with  a  sigh,  only  to  rear  his 
gaunt  form  into  the  air,  and  to  stagger  about  the  room  as 
if  the  inner  tension  was  too  much  for  him. 

Coming  back  to  his  seat  with  a  sudden  air  of  determine 
tion,  he  drew  his  chair  close  to  Justin's,  and  said : 

"I  do  not  know  whether  you  will  have  patience  for  what 
I  want  to  relate  to  you.  I  have  not  dared  to  tell  it  to 
Miss  Breen  as  I  wished.  But  it  weighs  down  my  conscience 
with  a  crushing  burden — and  I  must  speak.  You,  sir, 
appear  a  worthy  man.  Hear  me  out.  It  will  certainly  not 
better  your  opinion  of  me!  But  the  relief  I  will  perhaps 
find  will  take  some  measure  of  weight  from  my  soul !" 

Justin  felt  that  he  dared  not  interfere;  rather  that  he 
must  respect  the  crying  need  of  the  wretched  man  to  be 
heard.  Trevor  took  a  long  breath — like  one  who  is  about 
to  undertake  some  trying  task.  Then  he  began,  in  a  pen- 
sive voice,  which  soon  took  on  a  tone  of  half-terror.  The 


78  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

words  came  in  a  torrent,  at  times  musical,  at  times  hoarse, 
but  finally  bitter  with  self-accusation. 

"I  was  playing  Shakespearean  roles  at  a  theatre  in  Phil- 
adelphia when  Marie  first  saw  me,"  he  recounted.  "Eight- 
een years  ago  I  was  a  somewhat  more  prepossessing  indi- 
vidual, sir !  I  was  not  this  miserable,  useless  wreck.  Mad 
women  worshiped  me.  Although  spells  of  illness  already 
presaged  the  end  of  my  acting  and  the  setting  of  my  sun,  I 
felt  confident,  strong ! 

"Marie  came  along.  She  secured  an  introduction  to  me 
— and  praise  from  her  sounded  sweet  to  ears  which  you 
would  suppose  weary  of  praise !  Ah,  what  a  glorious  being 
she  was  !  Her  child-like  beauty  fascinated  me.  More  than 
that,  I  believed  she  had  talent  for  acting.  The  moneyed 
family  she  represented  was  of  no  interest  to  me.  We 
hastily  married.  Ah,  how  renewed  my  art  became !  How 
wonderfully  I  played! 

"But  folly  broke  in  upon  our  happiness.  I  struck  at 
the  glory  of  Marie's  love  for  me  by  insisting  that  she  should 
act,  that  she  should  give  herself  heart  and  soul  to  a  career 
of  which  she  had  never  dreamed!  It  was  one  thing  for 
her  to  watch  with  delight  another's  work  on  the  stage;  it 
was  a  totally  different  thing  for  her  to  don  a  costume  and 
play  a  part.  She  was  revolted,  terrified. 

"Was  it  folly  for  me  to  insist?  It  was  madness !  The 
wildest  act  of  a  madman !  But  I  was  equally  wild  about 
my  art;  and  when  I  saw  ability  within  reach,  I  sought  to 
press  it  into  service.  I  was  seeking  to  build  up  a  follow- 
ing among  playgoers — a  following  which  would  insure  my 
success,  and  bring  me  favorably  to  the  notice  of  the  big 
managers.  You  see,  I  had  not  been  snapped  up  by  these 
men,  because  tha  tide  had  set  in  the  direction  of  poor 
plays. 


THE  TYKAOT  IN  WHITE  79 

"And  I  sought  to  make  Marie's  beauty  and  high  intelli- 
gence serve  me.  At  first  she  faced  me  with  tearful  re- 
bellion. Then  she  stood  stoutly  upon  her  rights.  Storm 
followed  storm.  In  my  ambition  I  threw  all  sense  of  duty 
to  her  overboard.  At  last  I  stood  defeated :  she  would  not 
act.  But  although  I  gave  up  the  effort  to  force  her  to 
do  so,  we  had  both  of  us  gone  too  far  for  peace. 

"Ah,  would  that  I  had  died  before  Marie  met  me! — I 
who  was  to  bring  her  woe !  She  deserved  better  of  life, 
she  who  had  begun  with  health  and  youth  and  beauty! 
Better  of  life  than  a  turbulent  spirit  for  a  husband !  Bet- 
ter of  life  than  death !  Surely !" 

The  tears  streamed  down  the  seamed  face.  Trevor  sat 
very  still,  his  head  bowed,  his  thin  fingers  locked  with 
crushing  force.  Fighting  back  his  grief,  he  went  on: 

"It  is  a  late  day  for  atonement,  you  will  say!  Believe 
me,  I  have  paid  dearly  for  it  all.  After  I  realized  that  she 
had  gone,  the  world  seemed  empty.  Illness  came  on.  With 
the  applause  of  audiences  no  longer  in  my  ears,  I  had  lei- 
sure for  contemplation.  During  many  a  sleepless  night  did 
I  scourge  my  soul !  Every  brutal  word  I  used  to  that  sweet 
young  girl  was  to  return  to  torture  me  a  thousandfold! 
Only  one  thing  kept  me  from  crawling  into  a  suicide's 
grave — the  possibility  that  there  had  been  a  child  born  to 
me.  Yet  I  dared  not  ask  until  a  little  while  ago ;  and  then 
only  after  a  sudden  fear  one  night  that  I  was  soon  to  die. 
Punishment  ?  Yes,  I  have  been  punished !  But  I  am  de- 
serving of  more !  I  dare  not  entirely  believe  that  I  am 
near  the  child  who  is  my  daughter.  It  would  be  too  much 
after  the  years  of  loneliness !  Is  the  long  period  of  tor- 
ture to  end?  It  would  seem  impossible!" 

After  an  interval  of  silence,  Trevor  added: 

"Miss  Breen  has  put  me  so  much  in  her  debt  that  I 


80  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

am  at  a  loss  how  to  meet  her  generosity.  Had  she  acted 
with  harshness,  I  might  have  been  more  at  ease.  I  did 
not  expect  to  find  my  daughter  within  reach  for  the  ask- 
ing. Let  Miss  Breen  have  no  fear  for  the  future.  Before 
I  have  been  many  hours  with  Constance,  she  will  know  that 
her  father  was — unspeakable!  That  also  is  part  of  my 
atonement !" 

Justin,  hardened  though  he  had  somewhat  become  to  the 
punishment  meted  out  in  court-rooms  for  wrongdoing,  was 
deeply  stirred,  both  by  the  simple  sincerity  of  the  man  be- 
fore him,  and  the  anguish  he  had  revealed. 

"Leave  all  to  time,  that  cure  for  all  our  wounds!"  he 
said  quietly  to  the  suffering  man.  "If  I  can  be  of  service 
to  you,  command  me." 

From  below  rang  out  Conny's  laughter,  breaking  in  on 
the  quiet  about  the  house. 

"Do  you  hear  that!"  cried  Trevor,  lifting  his  head. 
"That  is  life  to  me !  Oh,  do  not  blame  me  for  loving  her  I 
She  ia  all  I  have  in  the  world !" 


CHAPTER  VI 

THOSE  of  Lenny's  boy  acquaintances  who  did  not  get 
away  early  for  the  summer  marveled  at  the  sudden  manner 
in  which  he  sprang  into  local  fame.  His  baseball  project 
became  the  absorbing  topic  with  every  young  lover  of  the 
game  in  Germantown.  Prior  to  calling  together  the  lead- 
ing spirits  among  the  boys  that  were  to  make  up  the  clubs, 
he  interviewed  owners  of  vacant  lots.  The  favorable  man- 
ner in  which  his  intended  work  was  received  by  them  sur- 
passed his  most  sanguine  hopes.  Several  of  the  men  asked 
to  be  remembered  when  there  would  be  a  call  for  contribu- 
tions. 

Then  came  the  meeting  of  the  recognized  leaders  of  the 
boys.  These  assembled  at  Lenny's  home,  and  he  outlined 
hia  plans  in  full.  The  conference  was  shy  at  first,  and 
somewhat  disinclined  to  offer  suggestions;  but  Lenny  im- 
pressed upon  it  that  the  success  of  the  baseball  league  lay 
in  its  hands,  rather  than  in  his. 

"You  fellows  will  have  to  run  this,  not  I,"  he  said.  "The 
sooner  you  all  jump  in  and  have  your  say,  the  quicker  will 
we  get  life  into  the  league." 

It  was  not  long  before  suggestions  came  plentifully,  and 
differences  just  as  frequently.  The  spirit  which  ruled  the 
boys  was,  however,  fairer  than  Lenny  had  expected.  He 
was  astonished  at  the  ability  of  some  to  reason  beyond  their 
years.  When  the  meeting  adjourned  after  electing  officers 
81 


83  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

and  appointing  a  time  for  arranging  the  games,  he  fairly 
danced  for  joy. 

"Don't  they  look  like  dandy  material!"  he  cried  to  his 
mother.  "Oh,  they  mayn't  have  seemed  so  to  you!  But  I 
can  tell  a  lively  lot  of  fellows  when  I  get  my  eyes  on  them. 
And  some  of  them  have  a  reputation  for  great  baseball." 

"I  was  most  interested  in  the  little  fellows/'  said  Mrs. 
Craigie,  who  had  watched  them  file  into  the  house. 

"  So  was  I !  Those  junior  clubs  aren't  going  to  be  dull ! 
And  they'll  graduate  grown-up  material  in  a  few  years ! 
That's  what  will  keep  the  league  going.  As  for  the  older 
chaps — why,  they'll  be  getting  into  big  professional  com- 
pany, and  give  the  league  a  national  reputation.  I  was 
glad  to  have  a  rule  passed  about  worrying  the  umpire.  Any 
fellow  who  does  a  lot  of  that  gets  expelled.  That  was  the 
only  motion  I  worked  for." 

"And  the  name  of  the  league?"  asked  his  mother. 

"They  wanted  to  call  it  the  Captain  Craigie  Baseball  As- 
sociation, but  I  wouldn't  have  it.  It  would  look  as  if  they 
were  thankful  to  me,  although  that  wasn't  the  reason  why 
they  picked  out  the  name.  I  didn't  want  everybody  to 
think  I  chose  it  for  them,"  Lenny  explained. 

"You  told  them  about  your  father?"  asked  his  mother 
with  a  wan  smile. 

"Yes.  It  came  out  when  they  were  speaking  about  a 
catcher  who  broke  his  thumb,  but  kept  right  on  playing. 
So  I  told  them  a  pretty  brave  story  I  had  heard !  They 
took  it  all  right,  too!" 

"I  shouldn't  wonder!"  said  his  mother. 

"You  would  have  laughed  at  the  airs  the  kids  put  on 
when  we  got  to  speaking  about  their  schedule!  You  see, 
we've  arranged  everything  according  to  age.  We've  got 
nine  vacant  lots  now,  and  some  of  them  hold  more  than 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  83 

one  diamond.  But  I'm  not  satisfied  yet.  Every  kid  in 
Germantown  over  ten  will  get  a  chance  to  play  ball,  if 
hustling  will  do  anything!" 

"You  think  you  will  get  along  with  the  boys?"  Mrs. 
Craigie  queried. 

"I  think  so.  And  it  won't  be  because  I  did  anything  for 
them !  No  favoritism  !  I  saw  too  much  of  it  at  the  acad- 
emy. I'm  not  going  to  interfere ! — not  in  the  slightest ! 
Every  one  is  to  have  the  same  say.  The  only  reason  my 
ideas  were  taken  up  was  because  I  worked  them  out  pretty 
carefully  beforehand;  that  was  why." 

To  his  mother,  the  importance  of  Lenny's  interest  in  the 
league  lay  in  it8  effect  upon  him.  In  the  few  days  of  its 
organization  his  manner  had  become  more  manly.  He 
talked  with  an  air  of  considerable  thoughtfulness.  But 
still  more  important  was  his  lessened  restlessness.  When 
he  spent  an  evening  at  home,  he  would  sit  quietly  and  plan, 
either  with  pencil  and  paper  before  him,  or  by  discussing 
details  with  his  mother. 

Among  his  suggestions  had  been  one  for  rewarding  those 
boys  who  played  two  years  in  the  league.  They  were  to 
come  into  complete  possession  of  the  gloves  and  baseball 
shoes  they  used,  and  this  applied  equally  to  the  catchers' 
masks.  The  gifts  would  not  be  trifling,  for  the  best  sort 
of  baseball  equipment  was  to  be  supplied  to  the  league. 

When  his  mother  spoke  of  paying  out  of  her  own  purse 
for  a  considerable  number  of  baseball  suits,  Lenny  argued 
that  it  would  be  better  to  promise  them  for  the  future,  so 
as  to  stimulate  interest.  He  decided  that  the  clubs  which 
won  the  championships  in  their  respective  classes  should  be 
presented  with  these  suits  as  prizes. 

"I  am  going  to  try  to  win  one  of  those  suits  for  myself !" 
he  declared.  "I'm  going  to  play  the  genuine  article  of 


84  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

baseball  this  summer  on  one  of  the  teams.  But  you  may 
be  sure,  mother,  that  if  any  man  shows  up  better  for  the 
position  I  am  trying  for  than  I,  he  gets  the  place,  not 
yours  truly!  No  Bob  Maur  business  in  the  Germantown 
League  of  Baseball  Clubs." 

At  the  same  time,  he  urged  his  mother  to  get  ready  to 
go  away  for  the  summer. 

"There  is  time,  dear,"  she  said.  "I  want  to  see  the 
league  at  work  before  I  go.  It  won't  be  hard  to  stay  here, 
for  Gertrude  Breen  told  me  that  she  does  not  intend  to 
leave  for  the  entire  summer.  She  will  run  down  to  the 
shore  occasionally  instead." 

Lenny  had  no  chance  to  wonder  at  this.  His  own  affairs 
occupied  almost  all  his  waking  moments.  His  mother,  how- 
ever, had  seen  some  connection  between  the  arrival  of 
Conny's  uncle  and  the  uneasy  air  Gertrude  wore,  and 
sought  to  be  of  help  to  her.  She  guessed  that  Justin 
Mahan  was  trying  to  do  the  very  same  thing.  It  was  not 
like  Mrs.  Craigie,  though,  to  ask  questions. 

From  Gertrude  she  learned  that  Conny  spent  almost  all 
her  spare  time  with  her  uncle.  It  appeared  that  Lenny 
also  showed  a  fondness  for  the  actor.  On  one  of  his  rare 
visits  he  smoked  a  cigarette  in  that  man's  presence,  and 
was  promptly  rebuked  by  Conny,  who  had  set  herself  up 
as  guardian  of  her  uncle. 

"You  boys  are  funny!"  she  cried.  "You  roll  up  a  silly 
plant,  and  light  it,  and  then  fill  yourself  with  its  smoke ! 
If  only  the  men  didn't  do  such  a  silly  thing,  you  boys 
might  quit !" 

"I  won't  smoke  here  if  you  think  your  uncle  isn't  fond 
of  it,"  replied  Lenny.  "At  the  same  time,  you  needn't 
turn  up  your  nose  about  it !  Why  can  Justin  Mahan  be 
puffing  away  at  cigarettes  all  day  ?" 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  85 

"Oh,  I  don't  care  so  much  about  him!"  replied  Conny 
with  an  arch  smile  which  killed  all  of  Lenny's  resentment 
at  a  stroke. 

"Suppose  you  come  to  the  opening  game  of  the  league 
and  throw  the  ball  out  to  the  umpire,"  he  said. 

"Is  that  an  honor?"  she  asked  carelessly. 

"Now  pretend  you  don't  know  that  it  is !"  he  cried. 

"An  honor  for  me  or  the  league?"  she  queried,  with  her 
head  now  aslant. 

"Since  you're  asking — why,  for  you!"  he  replied,  smil- 
ing maliciously.  "If  you  hadn't  asked,  it  might  have  been 
an  honor  for  the  league.  You  might  as  well  know,  though, 
that  the  boys  will  play  like  the  very  dickens  with  you  look- 
ing on !" 

Then  he  went  on  to  explain  that  on  the  opening  day, 
only  two  clubs — and  these  were  of  the  class  represented  by 
the  oldest  boys — would  start  the  season,  with  all  the  other 
boys  looking  on.  The  two  clubs  would  be  drawn  by  lot, 
so  as  not  to  arouse  any  ill-feeling  among  the  others.  After 
the  opening  day,  all  the  vacant  lots  would  be  occupied,  and 
the  league  would  settle  down  to  its  season  of  play  according 
to  a  regular  schedule. 

"Oh,  I  couldn't  throw  the  ball!"  suddenly  cried  Conny. 
"Not  with  such  a  lot  of  people  looking  on !  But  I'll  come 
to  see  the  games,  and  bring  uncle,  if  the  boys  won't  say 
things  about  him." 

Lenny's  eyes  flashed.  "If  they  did,"  he  told  her,  "there 
wouldn't  be  enough  of  the  league  left  to  write  about  on 
your  thumb-nail !  You  bring  your  uncle ;  and  if  he  won't 
be  cheering  at  the  end  of  the  first  inning — well,  you'll  have 
to  bring  him  another  time !"  Lenny  unexpectedly  finished 
with  a  smile.  "He's  got  a  few  cheers  in  him,  I  bet.  It 
won't  be  any  Borneo  and  Juliet  performance,  though,  and 


86  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

the  boys  might  be  impolite  to  the  umpire,  you  know.  But 
you'll  pretend  not  to  hear,  won't  you?" 

Here  Conny  whispered,  "  You  ought  to  see  the  newspaper 
notices  I  made  uncle  show  me  about  father's  acting !  They 
couldn't  say  enough  about  him !  Every  one  of  them,  too!" 
Then  she  held  up  a  warning  finger.  "Just  between  us,  you 
know,  Lenny!  Aunt  would  never  forgive  me  if  she 
thought  I  gabbed !" 

There  were  many  things  similar  to  this,  told  "just  be- 
tween us,"  of  which  Conny  never  breathed  a  word  to  the 
other  boys.  One  incident,  however,  was  withheld  from 
Lenny.  It  had  to  do  with  Maur,  and  occurred  prior  to  his 
departure  to  the  mountains  for  the  summer. 

Bob  Maur  had  freely  expressed  his  disgust  that  Conny 
should  remain  in  Germantown  because  of  what  he  termed 
her  aunt's  "whim."  On  parting,  as  he  held  Conny's  hand, 
he  hastily  glanced  about  him,  and  then  asked  for  a  kiss. 
The  deadly  silence  which  followed  drove  him  to  excuses; 
then  he  made  a  confession  which  left  Conny  panic-stricken. 

"Why,  Bob,"  she  gasped,  "we're  only  kids!  You  must 
be  joking !  In  love  with  me !  You  don't  mean  it !  I'm 
a  child  yet !  Don't  you  see  ?  Oh,  you  surely  must  be  jok- 
ing !  You  are !" 

She  had  stepped  away  from  him  in  alarm.  He  never 
faltered.  Instead,  he  said : 

"  Oh,  no,  I'm  not !  I'm  perfectly  serious  about  it !  And 
I  want  you  to  be  so,  too !  If  you  wish,  I'll  not  speak  of  it 
soon  again.  But  if  I  drop  it,  that  won't  mean  I'll  keep 
mum  about  it  very  long.  I  care  too  much  for  you  to  just 
mention  it,  and  then  forget  it.  That's  not  like  me !" 

Conny  insisted  on  viewing  his  proposal  in  an  amusing 
light.  When  alone,  however,  she  did  not  dismiss  it  lightly. 
No  matter  how  much  she  tried  to  put  it  out  of  her  thoughts, 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  87 

it  continued  to  worry  her.  She  was  soon  at  her  wits'  end ; 
and  to  make  matters  worse,  she  found  herself  unable  to 
speak  of  it  to  any  one,  for  fear  that  what  was  serious  to 
her  would  only  prove  amusing  to  another.  For  the  first 
time  in  her  life  she  was  likely  to  make  a  secret  of  a  thing 
about  which  she  needed  advice. 

The  more  she  considered  it,  the  more  she  felt  that  unless 
she  could  get  it  off  her  mind  by  a  talk  with  some  one,  it 
would  continue  to  give  her  no  peace.  From  the  first,  her 
uncle  seemed  the  most  likely  person  to  whom  to  go;  but 
in  his  case  she  was  as  much  afraid  of  the  solemn  way  in 
which  he  would  treat  it  as  of  the  amusement  it  might 
arouse  in  any  other  person. 

Justin  might  have  served;  only  he  would  be  likely  to 
send  her  to  Gertrude.  And,  again,  she  felt  that  if  he 
laughed  at  her,  she  might  never  forgive  him.  So  in  the 
end,  she  went  to  her  uncle,  and  related  the  whole  thing,  in 
one  breath,  with  pleas  for  secrecy,  advice,  help  and  under- 
standing. She  was  not  prepared  for  her  uncle's  dismay 
at  the  recital  of  her  first  proposal  of  marriage. 

"No!  No!  No,  Constance!"  he  cried,  seizing  her 
wildly  by  the  arm.  "No !  Do  not  listen  to  such  things ! 
Do  not  let  them  fill  your  mind — even  for  an  instant !  Not 
at  this  time  of  your  life !  Oh,  do  not  be  hasty !  A  world 
of  grief  can  follow  the  impulse  of  a  moment!  And  you 
are  but  a  child!" 

As  Conny  smiled  at  him,  he  exclaimed : 

"What  joy  you  have  given  me  in  thus  coming  to  me! 
It  is  heaven's  own  kindness  that  you  did  this !  I  feel  im- 
measurably rich !" 

With  these  words  he  lifted  his  head  joyously.  A  moment 
later,  the  unforgettable  years  had  swept  down  upon  him, 
to  point  out  his  arrogance  in  asking  for  happiness.  He 


88  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

bowed  his  head  humbly.  When  he  saw  with  what  tender 
curiosity  Conny  was  watching  him,  he  hastened  to  say : 

"Always  come  to  me!  Oh,  I  must  have  you  do  that! 
True,  your  aunt  has  been  very  kind  to  me.  These  rooms 
are  spacious.  The  view  from  those  windows  is  beautiful. 
I  can  dream  and  contemplate.  I  can  read  aloud  and  yet 
disturb  no  one.  But  all  this  only  leaves  a  great  void  within 
my  soul.  Your — your  laughter,  your  lightness  of  spirit 
buoys  me  up.  Bring  me  these,  if  nothing  else !" 

Here  Conny  put  a  question  which  wiped  out  all  ihe 
eagerness  in  his  manner. 

"Why  do  you  look  so  down-hearted  when  I  mention 
father's  name?"  she  asked.  "Do  you  really  feel  so  set 
against  him?" 

"Yes!  Because  my  love  of  justice  in  his  case  is  greater 
than  any  kindliness  I  might  discover  towards  him,"  was 
the  reply,  spoken  rather  sadly. 

"But  7  have  forgiven  him  !"  cried  Conny. 

"Ah,  because  you  know  nothing!"  cried  Trevor,  turning 
away,  so  as  not  to  have  to  face  her.  "And  forgiveness  does 
not  lie  with  you.  It  lies  with  the  dead." 

Conny  objected  to  "being  given  the  'creeps,'  "  as  she  put 
it.  She  forced  her  uncle  out  of  his  sadness  by  demanding 
some  story  which  would  have  laughter  in  it.  He  had  but 
to  turn  to  his  store  of  amusing  incidents  behind  the  scenes 
to  bring  this  laughter.  But  as  the  voice  of  Gertrude 
sounded  suddenly  in  the  stillness  of  the  garden  behind  the 
house,  the  smile  crept  away  from  his  lips.  He  thrust  him- 
self back  in  his  chair,  shame-faced  and  silent. 

Into  the  rooms  which  Robert  Trevor  occupied  Gertrude 
never  came;  and  he  never  dined  below.  They  mutually 
sought  to  keep  out  of  each  other's  way.  Although  by  not 
seeing  him  often,  Gertrude  could  not  learn  the  real  nature 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  89 

of  the  man,  she  felt  at  the  same  time  that  she  might  be 
saving  herself  from  any  unpleasantness  contact  might 
bring.  What  the  upshot  of  Conny's  fondness  for  him 
would  be  she  dared  not  contemplate.  For  her  there  was 
the  memory,  often  revived,  of  her  sister's  return  home,  half- 
dead  with  terror  ar«d  grief. 

"But,"  Justin  insisted,  "if  you  met  Trevor,  and  if  you 
gave  him  a  few  minutes  now  and  then,  you  would  see  him 
in  a  different  light.  He  feels  most  keenly  the  suffering  he 
brought  Marie.  In  fact,  he  persists  in  perpetually  pun- 
ishing himself  by  brooding  over  it.  Conny  is  not  going  to 
have  a  wholesome  respect  for  her  father — the  father  that 
Trevor  was.  It  is  safe  to  leave  matters  in  the  hands  of 
destiny;  but  incidentally  don't  you  think  it  would  be  weli 
to  make  destiny  wear  a  smile?" 

"Not  yet,"  Gertrude  said.  "Not  yet.  I  must  get  ac- 
customed to  his  presence  here.  When  Conny  grows  older 
and  less  irresponsible,  perhaps  I  shall  not  find  it  so  hard 
to  think  of  her  knowing  the  truth,  and  of  her  liking  this 
man.  Oh,  Justin,  am  I  a  coward  ?" 

He  shook  his  head;  then  added,  "I  am  not  seeking  to 
flatter  you.  The  situation  happens  to  be  a  tough  one.  But 
you  must  have  patience;  you  must  be  prepared  for  any- 
thing— and  you  must  learn  to  smile." 

As  he  reached  out  for  her  hand,  she  unconsciously  gave 
it  to  him.  Then  she  hastily  withdrew  it. 

"Soon,"  he  firmly  declared,  "I  will  have  my  needs  con- 
sidered, too !  Yes,  Gertrude,  I  have  reached  a  point  where  a 
word  from  you  would  mean  a  big  lease  of  life.  Since  you 
know  your  own  restlessness  because  of  your  indecision  con- 
cerning Trevor,  it  should  be  easy  for  you  to  see  how  rest- 
less I  am  because  you  have  not  made  up  your  mind  about 


90  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

me.  Oh,  you  see  it !  Yet  have  I  not  put  up  a  good  fight 
in  not  demanding  a  speedy  answer  from  you  ?" 

"But — but  your  fight  has  not  been  very  long,"  she  re- 
minded him. 

"What  has  time  to  do  with  it?  Your  concern  about 
Trevor  has  not  been  very  long!  Of  course,  if  I  believed 
for  one  moment  that  you  did  not  care  for  me,  that  would 
be  the  end  of  my  visits  here !  The  strain  is  becoming  un- 
bearable." 

"If  I  asked  you  to  wait  until  next  winter  for  my  decision, 
would  the  strain  really  be  too  great  for  you?"  she  asked, 
turning  away  so  as  not  to  see  the  appeal  in  his  eyes.  She 
immediately  faced  him  again,  to  cry,  "Oh,  I  am  not  tri- 
fling !  I  am  not  holding  you  off  for  flimsy  reasons  !  Surely 
you  believe  me,  Justin!" 

"Since  I  respect  you — yes,"  he  replied.  "Only  I  believe 
we  would  both  be  happier  if  you  made  up  your  mind  right 
away." 

"There  will  be  time  to  think  of  my  own  needs  when  I 
am  not  so  anxious  about  Conny,  and  when  I  am  somewhat 
calmer."  She  asked,  "Will  you  not  get  away  to  the  shore 
to-morrow?  Do  not  think  of  me!  You  need  a  rest  from 
that  office  work.  You  are  not  looking  too  well." 

"I  not  well ?"  he  laughed.  "That  would  be  strange  !  I 
do  feel  tired.  But  trust  to  luck  to  bring  me  some  refresh- 
ing excitement !  You  know,  I  am  to  umpire  the  first  game 
of  the  Germantown  League  of  Baseball  Clubs  to-morrow. 
A  serious  affair  and  full  of  honor!  Surely  you  have  been 
invited!  Young  Craigie  will  never  forgive  you  if  you  do 
not  grace  the  occasion !" 

"Yes,  Mrs.  Craigie  spoke  of  my  coming,  but  I  did  not 
promise — because  I  did  not  know  you  were  going  to  um- 
pire." And  Gertrude  asked,  "Have  you  considered  what 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  91 

those  boys  might  say  to  you  if  your  decisions  did  not  hap- 
pen to  suit  them  ?" 

Justin  laughed.     Then  he  hastened  to  reassure  her. 

"I  don't  think  Lenny  would  tolerate  that,"  he  said;  "so 
it  will  most  likely  be  conspicuous  by  its  absence.  He  must 
have  thought  about  it,  since  his  mother  is  to  be  there.  He 
is  a  very  likeable  chap.  There  hasn't  been  the  least  pose 
about  the  way  he  has  managed  this  baseball  business.  In 
fact,  he  is  actually  trying  to  avoid  having  a  noise  made 
about  his  connection  with  it.  It  isn't  likely  that  the  boys 
for  whom  he  is  doing  this  thing  will  forget.  When  they 
grow  up  into  citizens,  if  he  ever  needs  them,  he  will  have 
them  with  him.  That  is  the  only  sort  of  a  following  to 
have — one  that  has  grown  up  with  you.  I  wouldn't  have 
been  forced  to  truckle  to  political  bosses  if  that  had  been 
the  case." 

"  You  surely  are  not  going  to  grieve  about  that  now !" 
Gertrude  protested.  "It  would  be  as  reasonable  as  to  be- 
lieve that  Leonard  Craigie  can  be  thinking  of  politics  in 
helping  those  boys.  That  would  be  as  bad  as  the  remark 
Miss  Sutton  let  fall  when  she  was  here  yesterday  about 
Mrs.  Craigie  staying  in  town  because  Colonel  Henderson 
has  not  left  it." 

"Miss  Sutton  should  have  lived  in  a  time  when  people 
were  tarred  and  feathered  for  gossip  like  that !"  said  Jus- 
tin in  disgust.  "How  did  you  get  back  at  her?  I  know 
you  would  want  to  do  it  politely.  Oh,  there  is  no  fun  in 
being  a  woman !" 

"Well,"  said  Gertrude,  "I  inquired  very  gently  whether 
the  thought  hadn't  struck  Miss  Sutton  that  things  might 
be  just  the  other  way — that  the  Colonel  might  be  staying 
because  Mrs.  Craigie  had  not  gone  away.  Then  I  added, 
'The  beauty  of  Mrs.  Craigifc's  friendship  is  that  it  always 


93  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

selects  fine  persons  to  whom  to  devote  itself ;  for  everyone 
knows  that  Mrs.  Craigie  never  cared  for  Miss  Sutton.  That 
was  the  way  I  got  back  at  her.  Could  a  man  have  done 
better  ?  I  never  knew  I  could  be  so  cruel :  but  I  was  urged 
on  by  indignation — righteous  indignation  !" 

At  this  moment  Conny  entered  the  room  with  her  arms 
full  of  flowers.  Coming  up  to  Justin,  she  thrust  her  bou- 
quet at  him.  As  the  odor  of  the  flowers  filled  his  nostrils, 
he  became  dizzy,  and  had  a  feeling  of  suffocation. 

"How  white  you  are!"  cried  Gertrude,  hurrying  over 
to  him. 

Conny  had  stepped  back  when  his  hand  roughly  thrust 
the  flowers  aside.  She  gazed  at  his  pallid  features  with 
amazement. 

"I  never  could  stand  wild  flowers,"  he  said;  and  was 
immediately  ashamed  of  the  falsehood.  "Strange,  is  it 
not,  that  they  should  have  such  an  effect  upon  me !" 

Some  inkling  of  the  reason  for  this  cropped  out  when  he 
and  Gertrude  took  dinner  at  Mrs.  Craigie's  home  that  eve- 
ning. Lenny  was  not  present.  He  was  eating  his  meal 
in  the  company  of  Trevor  and  Conny,  at  the  latter's  invi- 
tation. 

This  change-about  was  not  discussed  at  his  mother's 
table.  Mrs.  Craigie  carefully  avoided  any  talk  about 
Trevor.  The  conversation  that  evening  dealt  with  sport, 
greatly  to  Justin's  delight.  He  did  not  agree  with  Mrs. 
Craigie  when  she  spoke  of  the  bad  influence  the  boys  of 
the  league  might  have  on  Lenny. 

"You  must  know  that  boys  of  his  own  station  can  go 
just  as  far  when  it  comes  to  knavery,  meanness  and 
wrong,"  he  said.  "As  for  Lenny,  I  have  an  idea  he  can  be 
relied  upon  to  take  care  of  himself — always !  I  have  seen 
how  he  managed  with  those  boys.  At  the  same  time,  you 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  93 

must  consider  that  his  efforts  in  their  behalf  will  do  much 
to  give  him  self-reliance." 

Without  denying  this,  Mrs.  Craigie  hastened  to  point 
out: 

"Those  boys  smoke — a  great  deal.  And  I  believe  Lenny 
indulges  in  that  habit  occasionally.  Even  if  he  does  not  do 
it  to  any  extent,  it  is  cause  for  worry." 

"If  he  does  only  indulge  occasionally,"  said  Justin, 
"what  have  you  to  fear?  He  is  almost  full-grown.  And 
I  am  sure  he  has  no  other  vices — if  we  may  call  it  a  vice !" 

"I  am  afraid  of  the  cigarette  habit,"  replied  Mrs. 
Craigie.  "A  physician's  letter  to  a  newspaper  the  other 
day  pointed  out  how  frequently  a  sensitive,  nervous  organ- 
ization will  go  to  pieces  under  its  influence.  Think  how 
high-strung  most  boys  are !  He  recounted  how  a  patient  of 
his  who  was  an  inveterate  smoker  would  collapse  when 
given  a  whiff  of  a  strong  perfume.  Is  that  not  enough 
proof  of  the  effect  of  tobacco?  But  what  this  physician 
said  was  no  news  to  me !" 

She  grew  silent,  and  was  unaware  of  the  uneasiness  her 
words  had  created  in  Justin's  mind. 

"It  all  depends  upon  the  individual,"  he  finally  haz- 
arded in  his  own  defence. 

"But  consider,  Mr.  Mahan,  what  the  constant  breathing 
of  tobacco  fumes  in  place  of  fresh  air  must  do  to  even  the 
most  robust  constitution!"  said  Mrs.  Craigie.  "There 
must  be  some  reason  for  the  stringent  rules  about  smoking 
athletes  have  to  follow." 

"There  are  individuals  who  are  left  nervous  wrecks  by 
going  to  concerts,"  Justin  argued  with  a  smile.  "The 
world  is  made  up  of  all  sorts  of  people.  In  Lenny's  case, 
if  he  lives  out  in  the  open  enough,  an  occasional  cigarette 
won't  harm  him.  Anyway,  remember  that  too  much  pres- 


94  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

sure  about  his  smoking  might  magnify  his  need  of  to- 
bacco." 

Then  Justin  spoke  of  something  else,  displeased  by  the 
grave  manner  in  which  Gertrude  had  followed  the  talk. 
He  wondered  if  it  would  be  in  place  for  him  to  take  Lenny 
to  task  about  his  cigarettes. 

" Hardly!"  he  reflected.  "Not  when  I  indulge  myself 
in  them  as  much  as  I  do !  Lenny  won't  overdo  it. 

That  boy  was  overdoing  it,  but  his  open-air  life  helped 
to  counteract  its  effects.  He  did  not,  however,  escape 
scot  free.  Without  his  being  aware  of  the  fact,  the  un- 
usually long  stretches  of  sleep  he  needed  were  the  result  of 
his  apparently  mild  indulgence.  But  since  no  unpleasant 
symptoms  showed  themselves,  he  grew  quite  sceptical  about 
the  ills  for  which  tobacco  was  blamed. 

There  was  little  time  for  him  to  think  of  himself;  the 
baseball  clubs  demanded  all  his  attention.  His  success 
with  these  made  his  name  known  in  almost  every  house- 
hold in  Germantown  which  possessed  a  boy.  He  had  gone 
so  far  as  to  secure  prominent  people  to  umpire  the  games. 
In  addition,  professional  and  business  men  rallied  to  his 
support  with  a  heartiness  which  assured  the  financial  suc- 
cess of  the  undertaking. 

He  found  an  occasional  chance,  however,  to  steal  off  for 
a  visit  to  Conny  and  her  uncle.  Of  the  few  boys  who  still 
remained  in  Germantown,  none  had  so  warm  a  place  in 
Trevor's  affection  as  Lenny.  Two  of  the  boy  visitors  had 
been  summarily  dismissed  by  Conny  when  she  caught  them 
winking  at  each  other  while  her  uncle  recited  "Eugene 
Aram's  Dream,"  although  they  lied  frantically  in  denial  of 
the  winking. 

Lenny's  interest  in  the  actor  was  genuine.  Under  the 
stimulus  of  hia  and  Conny's  presence,  Trevor  would  often 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  95 

repeat  whole  scenes  from  plays  which  he  had  given  to  the 
public.  He  would  forget  his  physical  weakness,  and  would 
storm  up  and  down  the  room,  while  his  auditors  sat  spell- 
bound. Or  he  would  enthusiastically  describe  some  first- 
night,  and  the  numberless  rehearsals  which  had  ushered  it 
in. 

He  was  careful,  nevertheless,  to  warn  his  young  hearers 
against  the  terrible  price  too  often  paid  for  success  on  the 
stage.  The  fickleness  of  audiences  and  of  critics,  the  ter- 
rible rivalry  in  the  theatrical  profession  itself,  and  the  fear- 
ful amount  of  work  involved  to  get  small  returns,  were 
spread  before  them,  until  they  saw  the  stage  in  its  naked 
reality. 

"  Oh,  I  guess  there's  lots  of  work  in  'most  everything  one 
tries  one's  hand  at!"  Lenny  philosophized.  "As  for  what 
people  say — the  critics,  you  know — why,  there  are  lots  of 
fellows  I  chummed  with  who  grinned  hard  when  they 
heard  what  I  was  going  to  do  for  the  boys  of  Germantown. 
It's  human  nature." 

Later  Lenny  again  complained  of  the  attitude  of  the 
boys  in  his  own  circle  towards  the  league. 

"I'm  glad  Jordan  and  Cuthbertson  and  Phil  Stanley 
have  gone  at  last,"  he  told  Conny.  "They  kept  asking  me 
fool  questions  about  the  clubs,  in  order  to  make  the  whole 
thing  look  ridiculous !" 

"Why,  you  silly  boy!"  cried  Conny.  "They  didn't  feel 
like  that  at  all !  You're  dreaming !" 

"Can't  people  do  mean  things,  even  though  you  do  like 
them?"  retorted  Lenny. 

"Just  because  I  don't  know  whether  that's  a  compli- 
ment or  not,  you're  to  walk  around  the  porch  on  your 
hands  in  plain  sight  of  everybody !"  he  was  ordered. 


96  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

He  only  looked  at  her  gravely.  When  she  repeated  her 
command,  he  began: 

«A  man " 

But  she  began  to  laugh,  and  held  her  sides  as  if  the  joke 
she  saw  was  too  much  for  her. 

She  was  more  serious  in  a  moment  as  she  told  how  she 
had  coaxed  her  uncle  to  take  drives  with  her,  instead  of 
indulging  in  early  morning  walks. 

"And  at  such  hours !"  she  cried.  "There  can't  be  a  soul 
up — except  footpads.  I  keep  worrying  about  them,  but  he 
is  sure  no  one  would  want  to  hurt  him.  I  spoke  to  auntie 
about  it.  'Why  should  I  interfere  with  what  gives  him 
pleasure?'  she  said.  Do  you  know,  he  seems  to  be  hiding 
himself  from  people !" 

"Why  haven't  you  asked  him  to  quit  it,  for  your  sake?" 
asked  Lenny,  much  concerned. 

"I  did.  But  he  got  so  quiet,  I  was  frightened!  I  used 
to  think  I  understood  folks.  I'm  not  so  sure  now  that  I 
do.  Even  you  are  queer — with  nothing  but  your  notions 
about  the  league  and  what  it  is  going  to  do !" 

"Oh,  but  look  at  the  attendance  we  are  getting,  and  what 
the  papers  are  saying  about  us !"  cried  Lenny  jubilantly. 
"It  isn't  for  one  year.  It's  going  to  have  its  effect  on  the 
whole  present  generation  of  Germantown  'boys !  And  it's 
nothing  alongside  of  what  I'm  planning  for  next  year !" 

"Way  down  in  your  heart,  how  do  you  feel  about  it?" 
asked  Conny.  "Your  inside  idea,  mind  you!  Is  it  doing 
you  any  good?" 

"Well,  I'm  really  useful  for  the  first  time  in  my  life. 
I'm  not  merely  a  fellow  who  gets  three  square  meals  a  day, 
and  pocket-money,  and  is  stuffing  himself  with  an  educa- 
tion which  may  be  no  good  to  anybody !  To  tell  the  truth, 
I  feel  grown  up !" 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  97 

He  said  it  quietly,  earnestly.  As  Conny  looked  into  his 
thoughtful  face,  she  felt  that  something  of  the  old  play- 
mate she  had  known  was  gone,  never  to  return.  It  was 
undeniable  that  he  was  no  longer  altogether  a  boy.  A  sub- 
tle sadness  stole  over  Conny  for  a  moment,  a  feeling  quite 
new  to  her.  Then  she  laughed. 

In  answer  to  Lenny's  look  of  inquiry,  she  said : 

"Oh,  I  was  mooning,  and  caught  myself  at  it.  I  was 
afraid  we  couldn't  be  kids  again — never !  But  there  can 
be  grown-up  kids,  can't  there?  Come,  let's  slip  away  for 
a  long  tramp  !  Let's  get  lost  for  the  rest  of  the  day !" 

"Great  guns,  I've  loafed  too  long  as  it  is !"  cried  Lenny, 
springing  to  his  feet.  "Simes,  the  clothier,  has  promised 
me  a  contribution  for  the  league.  I'm  going  to  collect  it. 
So  long !" 

And  he  was  off,  with  long  strides,  his  hands  in  his 
pockets. 

"No,"  said  Conny  sadly,  shaking  her  head,  "kid  days  are 
over." 


CHAPTEE  VII 

THE  baseball  league  drew  crowds  which  taxed  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  various  lots.  Before  the  end  of  summer  the 
games  attracted  people  from  the  neighboring  sections  of 
Philadelphia.  During  the  contests  of  the  various  clubs 
for  the  championships  of  their  respective  classes,  so  much 
bitterness  was  shown,  that  Lenny  had  to  use  considerable 
tact  to  keep  the  different  elements  at  peace. 

A  system  of  double  umpiring — one  behind  the  plate  and 
one  for  the  bases — was  found  necessary.  Even  then  only 
the  fear  of  expulsion  for  umpire-baiting  averted  serious 
trouble.  On  the  other  hand,  as  if  to  balance  the  ill-feeling 
which  resulted  from  the  keen  struggle,  there  was  a  readi- 
ness to  help  along  the  work  of  the  league,  and  to  build  up 
its  reputation. 

"Baseball,"  said  Justin  after  a  trying  day  as  an  umpire, 
"simply  typifies  the  American  spirit.  Those  scraps  were 
typically  American.  What  other  nation  would  take  its 
play  so  seriously?" 

"Wouldn't  you  rather  they  hadn't  called  you  a  'chump'?" 
asked  Lenny,  not  happy  over  the  incident. 

"I  remember  what  7  once  called  an  umpire,  and  it  makes 
my  ears  tingle  to  think  of  it!"  was  the  reply.  "So  how 
can  I  blame  these  fellows,  who  haven't  the  pretensions  of  a 
college-bred  man?" 

When  Lenny  spoke  of  his  fear  that  Justin's  experience 
98 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  99 

as  an  umpire  might  drive  him  from  the  league  grounds, 
the  older  man  said  with  a  laugh : 

"If  you  knew  the  fun  I  get  out  of  the  job,  you  wouldn't 
worry  about  me.  And  you  may  as  well  know  that  I  cut 
short  what  vacation  I  took  so  as  to  get  back  behind  the 
plate." 

It  was  not  because  of  Gertrude  that  Justin  stayed  in 
town,  for  there  was  an  entire  month  during  which  she  had 
gone  to  some  friends  at  Long  Branch.  Conny  had  been 
taken  along,  and  in  that  short  time  Gertrude  discovered 
how  attached  the  young  girl  was  to  Trevor.  It  was  some- 
what of  a  shock  for  her  to  hear  Conny  say : 

"I  can't  have  any  fun  while  poor  uncle  is  alone  in  that 
big  house !" 

"But  he  hadn't  the  slightest  desire  to  go  anywhere  for 
the  summer,"  Gertrude  replied. 

"Perhaps  we  didn't  coax  him  hard  enough,"  said  Conny. 

"Your  uncle  knows  his  own  mind.  Anyhow,  there  is 
Leonard  Craigie  to  run  in  and  see  him  often,"  Gertrude  re- 
minded her. 

"Oh,  there's  nothing  in  the  wide  world  for  Lenny  but 
baseball!"  came  in  a  petulant  voice. 

So  some  of  his  boy  acquaintances  thought  when  they 
drifted  back  into  town  at  the  end  of  summer.  Lenny  ap- 
peared in  a  more  favorable  light  to  them,  although  a  few 
agreed  with  Maur  when  he  claimed  that  all  Lenny  sought 
was  newspaper  notice. 

"Why  should  he  want  to  bother  with  a  bunch  of  fellows 
like  that?"  Maur  argued. 

He  came  to  look  on  at  the  final  games  with  a  superior 
air,  not  at  all  happy  over  the  attention  which  Lenny  re- 
ceived. On  catching  a  remark  of  dissatisfaction  from  a 
boy  who  sat  near  him — one  who  had  been  expelled  from 


100  THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE 

the  league,  and  who  had  never  made  his  peace  with  it — 
Maur  was  tempted  to  begin  the  formation  of  opposition 
clubs.  But  he  saw  at  a  glance  that  this  would  arouse  un- 
favorable comment,  and  that  his  motives  would  be  ques- 
tioned. 

"Oh,  the  league  will  fall  apart  and  split  up  in  a  year  or 
two,  anyhow!"  he  claimed.  "Craigie  isn't  ingenious 
enough  to  think  up  new  ways  of  keeping  the  boys  inter- 
ested." 

And  he  laid  a  bet  with  himself  that  the  baseball  asso- 
ciation would  not  survive  another  season. 

"Trying  to  make  friends  of  boys  of  that  sort!"  Maur 
mused  with  a  grin. 

However,  despite  all  his  hopes  that  the  battles  for  the 
various  championships  would  precipitate  trouble,  the  games 
as  a  whole  went  along  smoothly.  Finally  the  day  arrived 
when  these  championships  were  decided,  and  prizes  were  to 
be  presented  to  the  members  of  the  winning  clubs.  Most 
noticeable  were  the  baseball  suits,  which  were  piled  up  in 
considerable  number  in  front  of  the  diamond,  all  carefully 
boxed.  These  were  somewhat  larger  than  the  boys  to 
whom  they  were  to  go,  in  order  to  allow  for  the  bodily 
growth  which  the  time  until  the  following  season  would 
bring. 

The  eventful  day  began  with  a  baseball  game  between  the 
champion  team  representing  the  oldest  boys  of  the  league 
and  an  out-of-town  club.  The  contest  was  handily  won 
by  the  home  team,  amid  great  rejoicing.  By  this  time  the 
carriages  and  automobiles  of  well-known  people,  including 
professional  and  business  men,  politicians,  and  persons  of 
social  prominence,  formed  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  attend- 
ance. Conny  was  there  with  a  bevy  of  girl  friends.  Mrs. 
Craigie  was  surrounded  by  a  host  of  neighbors  who  had 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  101 

come  out  of  curiosity,  and  who  finished  by  being  as  enthu- 
siastic as  she.  Gertrude  had  appeared  on  the  scene  some- 
what early,  in  order  to  witness  Justin's  umpiring  of  the 
game. 

A  sudden  silence  fell  upon  the  crowd  when  a  Councilman 
stepped  forward.  After  a  lengthy  speech,  during  which 
Lenny's  name  was  frequently  mentioned,  much  to  the  dis- 
comfort of  that  boy,  the  Councilman  presented  to  him  the 
captains  of  the  various  winning  teams  for  the  prizes.  It  de- 
veloped that  there  were  not  only  suits,  but  small  medals 
and  flowers.  Then  the  captains  of  the  teams  which  had 
been  second  best  in  the  contests  were  called  forward,  and 
the  members  of  their  clubs  were  surprised  and  made  happy 
by  orders  on  a  Philadelphia  sporting  goods  establishment 
for  baseball  shoes.  To  bring  a  full  measure  of  joy  to  the 
teams,  a  Germantown  merchant  contributed  fine  caps  to  the 
entire  league. 

Lenny  was  much  embarrassed  when  he  addressed  the 
players.  After  complimenting  the  winning  clubs,  he  spoke 
at  considerable  length  of  those  in  the  league  who  had  made 
good  records,  and  pointed  out  some  of  the  pitching  feats, 
and  examples  of  excellent  fielding  and  base-running.  He 
ended  by  saying: 

"I  hope  this  section  will  get  to  be  famous  all  over  the 
country  for  the  great  players  it  will  contribute  to  Amer- 
ican baseball.  I  feel  sure  it  will  after  some  of  the  work 
done  on  the  lots  which  were  loaned  to  us.  I  hope  there 
will  always  be  property  owners  who  will  let  ball  teams  have 
grounds  for  the  asking.  Baseball  is  the  great  American 
game.  Good  Americans  ought  to  encourage  it.  And  now, 
good-by  to  the  game  until  next  spring!" 

The  occasion  was  not  to  end  there,  for  one  of  the  players 
came  forward  with  a  small  loving  cup,  bought  by  contribu- 


103  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

tiona  from  all  the  teams,  and  he  presented  this  to 
with  the  words : 

"The  Germantown  League  of  Baseball  Clubs  thanks  you 
for  your  efforts  in  its  behalf.  Please  accept  this  with  our 
warmest  regards  and  esteem." 

Justin,  who  was  standing  nearby,  cried,  "Three  cheers 
for  Lenny  Craigie !" 

They  were  given  with  a  will.  Then  the  clubs  marched 
in  a  body  to  Mrs.  Craigie's  lawn,  where  there  was  a 
"spread,"  more  speeches,  and  great  enthusiasm  for  the 
prospects  of  the  next  baseball  season. 

When  the  boys  had  gone,  Lenny  exclaimed : 

"I  wouldn't  have  missed  this  summer  for  anything  in 
the  world!  It's  been  as  good  as  an  education.  I  feel  as 
if  now  I  really  was  part  of  Germantown  !" 

That  evening  at  dinner,  to  which  Justin  and  several 
other  men  had  been  invited,  Lenny  outlined  his  plans  for 
the  following  summer.  These  included  a  series  of  games 
at  the  end  of  the  following  season,  to  which  an  admission 
fee  would  be  charged,  the  proceeds  to  go  to  the  erection  of 
a  club-house. 

"I  know  the  money  we  will  get  from  that  will  not 
amount  to  a  whole  lot,"  he  said.  "But  it  would  show  every- 
body that  we  were  in  dead  earnest,  and  so  we  could  find 
better  backing.  At  the  same  time,  it  would  keep  the  fel- 
lows together,  because  every  one  of  them  would  be  inter- 
ested in  the  way  the  pile  of  money  was  growing.  The  club- 
house would  be  free  for  the  boys;  there  wouldn't  be  any 
charge.  That's  the  only  fair  way,  because  most  of  those 
fellows  can't  even  afford  a  quarter  a  week!" 

Colonel  Henderson,  who  was  there,  offered  to  write  a 
check  for  one  thousand  dollars  in  support  of  the  project,  at 
any  time  Lenny  would  say  the  word.  Justin  promised  to 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  103 

secure  an  equal  amount  by  subscription  whenever  condi- 
tions were  ripe  for  the  start. 

Mrs.  Craigie  was  pleased  to  see  that  no  one  attempted 
to  compliment  Lenny  on  his  thoughtfulness  in  behalf  of 
others.  More  gratifying  to  her  than  this  was  the  natural 
and  unconceited  manner  in  which  he  looked  upon  his  own 
activities.  She  knew  that  this  impressed  many,  for  it  had 
been  frequently  spoken  of  to  her. 

The  Colonel's  visits  to  the  house  now  passed  without 
comment  from  Lenny.  At  one  time  during  the  summer 
these  visits  had  ceased.  The  Colonel  had  put  a  certain 
question  to  Mrs.  Craigie,  and  had  received  an  unfaltering 
"No!"  for  an  answer.  But  the  visits  were  resumed;  the 
Colonel  came  back,  apparently  humbled,  but  in  reality  un- 
beaten. He  asked  to  be  allowed  to  resume  his  visits  on  a 
basis  of  friendship.  He  pleaded  with  such  fine  dignity, 
that  Mrs.  Craigie  could  not  send  him  away.  She  did  not 
know  that  he  was  patience  itself. 

He  was  sincere,  however,  when  he  talked  of  Lenny's  fu- 
ture. Mrs.  Craigie  was  eager  that  Lenny  should  finish 
with  his  preparatory  school  education.  Since  he  intended 
to  take  law  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  his  studying 
would  be  done  at  home,  and  she  would  have  him  near  her. 
This  prospect,  somehow,  did  not  bring  the  Colonel  a  great 
deal  of  happiness  when  they  discussed  it. 

Lenny  was  more  anxious  than  his  mother  to  be  done  with 
the  military  academy. 

"I  am  not  sure  of  myself  at  that  place,"  he  confided  to 
Conny.  "There  are  so  many  very  young  boys  all  about, 
that  one  doesn't  feel  grown  up.  I  am  getting  older.  And 
there  are  a  whole  lot  of  things  I  used  to  care  for  that  don't 
interest  me  now.  A  few  months  make  a  lot  of  difference  I" 

"I'm  feeling  old  myself,"  said  Conny  ruefully. 


104  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Oh,  I'd  think  it  would  wear  anybody  out  entertaining 
the  number  of  fellows  that  come  around  here !"  Lenny  re- 
marked with  disgust. 

"You  goose,  that's  what  keeps  me  young !"  was  the  reply. 

Lenny  was  about  to  retbrt,  but  Maur  hove  into  sight,  his 
muscular  body  set  off  to  advantage  by  the  clothes  he  wore. 
It  was  his  boast  that  he  was  as  careful  as  his  father  about 
the  tailor  he  chose.  At  that  moment,  he  looked  as  if  he 
had  stepped  out  of  a  fashion  plate.  His  visits  to  Conny 
were  on  the  increase,  for  she  was  daily  growing  prettier. 
He  even  pretended  an  interest  in  Trevor,  although  this  was 
a  trial  since  he  did  not  like  the  actor. 

Conny  saw  through  his  aversion.  To  make  him  pay  for 
his  fidgetting  when  he  was  near  her  uncle,  she  brought  him 
to  the  latter's  rooms  every  time  he  came.  In  the  end  she 
said: 

"I  know  you  don't  like  him,  Bob.  I  can't  understand 
why.  Lenny  is  glad  to  go  up  there  every  time  he  comes." 

"But  it's  you  I  come  to  see !"  Maur  insisted. 

"That's  nice,  Bob,  I'm  sure.  But  I'm  not  half  so  proud 
about  myself  as  I  am  about  uncle,"  returned  Conny.  "I 
don't  know  why  you  don't  appreciate  him,  he  is  so  loving, 
and  there's  not  a  more  interesting  man  in  the  world." 

"I  still  will  have  it  that  it  is  you  I  come  to  see,"  said 
Maur.  "I  am  not  trying  to  hide  the  truth.  I  want  to  be 
honest  about  it.  And  I'd  really  care  more  for  your  uncle 
if  you  only  gave  me  some  of  your  time  alone  before  the 
blamed  academy  opened." 

"Why  should  I  give  you  more  time  away  from  uncle?" 
Conny  asked.  "You  haven't  got  any  consideration  when 
you  want  anything  badly,  Bob  Maur !  It's  so  much  like  a 
kid's  way  that  you'd  make  even  a  cat  laugh  to  watch  you." 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  105 

"Can't  you  be  more  earnest  with  me?"  said  Maur,  re- 
sentful of  the  light  way  she  treated  his  regard  for  her. 

"Why  should  we  be  awfully  solemn  all  of  a  sudden?" 
Conny  demanded.  "We  weren't  any  'mister'  or  'miss'  so 
very  long  ago !  Let's  see :  when  did  you  quit  knicker- 
bockers ?" 

"Do  you  treat  Craigie  like  this?"  Maur  asked  angrily. 

"No!"  she  answered  at  once.     "Do  you  know  why?" 

"Don't  talk  to  me  about  him!"  he  cried.  "I  never  pay 
any  attention  to  him !  What  is  there  about  him  to  make  a 
fuss  over?  If  you  only  saw  how  he  gets  along,  you'd  find 
that  he  banks  on  what  his  father  did !  What  has  he  done 
himself?  There's  no  backbone  to  him!" 

"I  remember,"  Conny  mused  aloud,  "when  there  wasn't 
a  fellow  in  our  crowd  who  dared  to  get  Lenny  mad.  Am 
I  correct,  backboney  sir?" 

The  shot  told;  but  Maur  swallowed  his  wrath,  and  said 
with  a  shrug: 

"A  temper  isn't  spunk.  And  just  because  he  is  willing 
to  sit  around  and  listen  to  Mr.  Trevor  in  order  to  get  into 
your  good  graces,  you  needn't  expect  me  to  resort  to  the 
same  means !" 

Conny's  face  became  hard. 

"Lenny  and  I,"  she  said  with  spirit,  "have  never  tried 
to  make  believe  to  each  other !  There  never  was  any  one 
more  honest  than  he !  I  am  surprised  at  you !" 

"When  you  get  to  know  the  world  as  much  as  I  do,  you 
won't  be  swearing  by  everybody  such  an  awful  lot,"  he  said 
confidently. 

"Why,  what  dreadful  ideas  to  have !"  Conny  cried  in  a 
tone  of  horror. 

"Do  you  think  I'm  a  romantic  fool?"  he  asked. 

"Well,  I'm  not  such  a  fool  either,  Bob  Maur!     If  Lenny 


106  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

was  making  believe,  do  you  think  he  could  keep  it  up  week 
after  week  without  my  finding  it  out?  You  ought  to  get 
a  better  opinion  of  people  before  you  grow  much  older,  or 
no  one  will  want  to  have  anything  to  do  with  you.  I  cer- 
tainly don't!" 

In  a  moment  he  was  pleading  for  forgiveness  in  a  hum- 
bled spirit,  against  which  she  could  not  hold  out. 

"Of  course  I'll  overlook  it;  but  in  case  your  opinion  of 
me,  for  forgiving  you,  Bob,  should  be  pretty  small,  I  want 
to  tell  you  that  I  don't  respect  you  as  much  as  I  did  be- 
fore." 

"That  means  you  don't  respect  me  for  saying  what  I  hon- 
estly believe,"  he  returned.  "It's  pretty  bad  not  to  be  able 
to  lay  bare  all  my  thoughts  to  you!" 

"Such  thoughts!"  And  she  eyed  him  wonderingly.  "If 
they  were  mine,  I'd  hide  them,  so  no  one  would  ever 
guess!" 

"I'm  not  ashamed  of  my  honesty !"  he  offered  in  defence. 

By  clinging  to  this  statement,  he  held  his  own  with  her. 
At  the  same  time  he  smarted  at  her  preference  for  Lenny. 
Despite  his  regret  at  having  to  leave  her  on  his  return  to  the 
academy,  he  found  some  satisfaction  in  the  thought  of  re- 
turning there.  He  felt  that  at  the  school  no  one  would 
question  his  supremacy.  Lenny  would  be  relegated  to  an 
inferior  place  despite  his  summer  achievement. 

Once  within  the  walls  of  the  academy,  Maur  waited  with 
smiling  patience  while  the  flattering  attention  accorded 
Lenny  wore  off.  Maur  looked  forward  to  the  beginning  of 
the  regular  football  practice,  certain  that  Lenny  would  try 
for  a  place  on  the  team. 

The  latter  had  wasted  no  time  in  getting  back  to  his 
books,  in  his  determination  to  make  a  good  record.  This, 
however,  did  not  keep  him  from  getting  into  football  togs 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  107 

when  practice  was  called.  It  required  but  two  days  for 
him  to  discover  that  Maur  was  preparing  to  nullify  all  hia 
efforts  to  secure  a  position  on  the  regular  team. 

Wild  with  anger,  Lenny  kept  up  such  a  pace  in  practice, 
that  it  began  to  be  the  talk  of  the  school.  Maur  persisted 
in  keeping  him  on  the  scrub  team,  playing  him  as  quar- 
ter-back, in  the  hope  that  the  exacting  position  would  con- 
fuse Lenny.  The  result  was  not  what  Maur  expected.  Not 
only  were  the  regulars  kept  from  scoring,  but  they  could 
not  stop  the  scrub's  tricky  plays.  But  still  Maur  ignored 
Lenny.  He  put  down  the  gains  of  the  scrub  team  to  the 
credit  of  several  of  the  other  men,  and  advanced  these  to 
the  regular  team.  The  scrub  team,  however,  continued  to 
score  victory  after  victory. 

Lenny  saw  that  Maur  would  fight  the  opinion  of  the 
whole  school  if  it  was  necessary  to  keep  him  off  the  team. 
Although  the  scrub  quarter-back  knew  that  patience  would 
go  a  long  way  in  winning  out  over  Maur,  he  found  that  he 
would  not  be  able  to  wait  much  longer  to  tell  that  man 
what  he  thought  of  him  and  his  methods.  And  when  one 
of  Maur's  cronies  jumped  on  him  after  a  line  play,  and  on 
a  second  occasion  put  his  knee  with  kicking  force  into  his 
side,  Lenny  exploded  with  wrath,  and  accused  Maur  of  con- 
spiring to  put  him  out  of  the  game.  The  lie  was  passed, 
and  Lenny  was  ready  to  fling  himself  upon  the  football 
captain,  when  the  appearance  of  an  instructor  belonging 
to  the  school  put  a  stop  to  the  threatening  hostilities. 

Lenny  went  to  the  gymnasium  and  took  off  his  football 
outfit,  his  teeth  shut  tight  against  the  desire  to  resume 
practice.  Many  believed  that  by  next  day  his  anger  would 
be  gone,  and  he  would  be  back  on  the  field.  But  he  smoked 
himself  into  a  still  more  hostile  frame  of  mind,  and  re- 


108  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

fused  to  listen  to  the  coaxing  of  those  boys  who  wished  him 
to  re-enter  the  game. 

If  the  incident  angered  Lenny,  it  also  gave  him  some 
satisfaction.  He  had  demonstrated  that  he  had  the  mak- 
ing of  a  first-class  player,  who,  with  the  proper  encourage- 
ment, might  have  proved  a  valuable  asset  to  the  school 
team.  But  he  soon  found  that,  although  the  manner  in 
which  he  had  "made  good"  continued  to  be  the  talk  of  the 
academy,  all  friendly  support  for  his  course  practically 
vanished  after  Maur  had  brilliantly  captained  the  academy 
team  to  victory  in  several  contests  with  outside  schools. 

Even  then  Lenny  was  not  sure  that  the  academy  had 
altogether  forgotten  him.  He  was  confident  that  once  the 
season  was  over,  the  boys  in  their  talk  would  rake  up 
Maur's  behavior,  and  it  would  heighten  their  growing  dis- 
trust of  him.  So  Lenny  once  more  attacked  his  books,  and 
tried  not  to  think  of  the  practice  daily  going  on  almost 
under  his  window. 

In  this  he  was  aided  by  the  cigarettes  in  which  he  in- 
dulged, despite  the  lookout  kept  by  the  school  authorities 
for  such  a  breach  of  discipline.  It  was  the  practice  of  the 
boys  either  to  lean  out  of  the  windows  while  they  smoked, 
regardless  of  the  weather,  or  to  sit  near  the  draught  cre- 
ated by  an  open  window,  so  that  the  odor  of  the  cigarettes 
might  be  carried  out.  This  latter  method  was  responsible 
for  the  first  serious  scrape  into  which  Lenny  got  at  the 
academy  that  fall. 

As  he  was  about  to  go  to  the  window  after  lighting  a  cig- 
arette, the  door  cf  his  room  suddenly  opened.  Lenny  felt 
instinctively  that  it  was  an  instructor  on  one  of  his  rounds 
of  inspection.  Unable  to  fling  his  cigarette  out  of  the  win- 
dow without  betraying  the  action,  he  crushed  it  in  his  hand, 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  109 

and  carelessly  seating  himself  on  the  bed,  he  slipped  it, 
supposedly  extinguished,  under  the  pillow. 

It  was  done  with  such  speed  and  smoothness,  that  the 
instructor  was  entirely  deceived,  although  there  was  the 
faint  odor  of  cigarette  smoke  in  the  room.  When  the  in- 
structor proceeded  on  his  rounds,  there  was  a  shrill  whistle 
from  below,  as  a  signal  for  an  appointment  which  Lenny 
was  to  keep,  and  he  went  down,  without  giving  any  thought 
to  the  cigarette  he  had  hidden. 

An  hour  later,  the  boy  who  roomed  with  Lenny  came  to 
prepare  his  lessons,  but,  instead,  aroused  the  whole  school 
with  a  yell  of  "Fire!"  It  had  not  reached  that  propor- 
portion,  but  the  smoke  which  came  from  the  neighborhood 
of  the  pillow  was  sufficiently  alarming.  It  also  served  to 
awaken  the  suspicions  of  the  instructor  who  had  visited  the 
room  when  Lenny  had  made  away  with  his  cigarette.  The 
result  was  that  the  latter  was  ordered  before  the  head  of 
the  academy. 

Colonel  Ainsworth,  the  principal,  had  been  an  important 
member  of  the  army  before  he  founded  his  school.  In 
order  not  to  drive  boys  away,  he  had  been  forced  to  modify 
the  ideas  of  discipline  with  which  he  had  unmercifully 
handled  enlisted  men.  The  result  was  that  the  discipline 
of  the  school  oscillated  between  merciless  bulldozing  and 
no  discipline  at  all. 

In  Lenny's  case  the  principal  was  particularly  troubled 
because  during  the  previous  year  Mrs.  Craigie  had  written 
to  inquire  what  was  being  done  by  the  academy  to  check 
smoking.  At  that  time  he  had  replied  that  it  was  entirely 
stamped  out.  And  now  her  own  son  had  almost  burned 
down  the  academy  with  a  cigarette! 

The  Colonel  was  bald,  rather  stout,  and  with  a  protrud- 
ing chest,  which  gave  him  an  air  of  dignity.  A  weak  jaw, 


110  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

however,  undid  the  formidable  appearance  he  sought  to 
present.  He  looked  better  standing  up  than,  sitting,  for 
his  long  legs  carried  a  somewhat  short  bust.  But  though 
he  always  stood  when  boys  were  brought  before  him,  they 
were  never  impressed — a  fact  of  which  he  was  well  aware. 

As  Lenny  entered  the  Colonel's  room,  he  saluted  the 
figure  standing  solemnly  near  the  desk.  There  was  no  one 
else  present.  The  Colonel  believed  that  he  could  manage 
without  the  attendance  of  the  accusing  instructor. 

"And  so,  Craigie,  you  defy  our  discipline,  and  smoke!" 
he  delivered  himself  with  elevated  brows.  "What  is  more, 
you  try  to  burn  down  the  building  over  our  heads !  I  ex- 
pect a  full  confession  from  you,  sir !  Let  us  have  it.  It 
will  save  much  annoyance  and  misunderstanding." 

Seeing  from  the  Colonel's  air  that  he  was  in  possession 
of  the  main  facts,  Lenny  told  what  had  happened.  When 
he  finished,  the  Colonel  said : 

"But  you  are  not  the  only  one  at  the  academy  who 
smokes." 

"I  would  rather  speak  for  myself,"  returned  Lenny. 

"Well,"  said  the  Colonel,  stiffening,  "I  have  made  up 
my  mind  to  break  up  the  habit  here !  It  is  the  ruin  of  the 
health  and  discipline  of  the  academy.  Since  you  will  not 
aid  me  in  any  way,  I  cannot  be  lenient." 

Still  Lenny  refused  to  play  the  informer.  The  princi- 
pal, drawing  himself  up,  imposed  sentence. 

"Since  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  you  picked  up  the 
habit  while  with  us,  and  that  we  are  therefore  indirectly 
responsible  for  it,  I  will  not  summarily  expel  you,"  he 
said.  "But  this  breach  of  discipline,  which  almost  de- 
stroyed the  establishment,  is  to  be  brought  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  whole  academy.  Then  after  a  short  time,  you 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  111 

will  leave.  I  have  not  yet  decided  how  long  you  will  stay 
before  you  go." 

A  red  swirl  swept  before  Lenny's  eyes.  He  had  to  put 
his  hand  on  the  back  of  a  chair  to  keep  from  falling  over. 
The  Colonel  saw  a  very  pale  boy  whose  eyes  glowed  wildly. 

"You  mean  to  make  an  example  of  me?"  asked  Lenny 
in  a  choking  voice. 

"I  am  not  to  be  interrogated !"  was  the  reply.  "You  do 
not  seem  to  realize  that  your  presence  here  almost  cost  us 
life  and  property.  You  are  very  thoughtless,  and,  I  might 
say,  very  dangerous.  Patience  has  ceased  to  be  a  virtue ! 
I  shall  no  longer  be  lenient !" 

Lenny  was  thinking  fast,  and,  oddly  enough,  found  him- 
self very  calm.  A  few  seconds  served  to  create  for  him  the 
picture  of  his  mother  receiving  the  news  of  his  expulsion. 
Then  he  saw  the  great  stir  it  would  make  in  Germantown. 
At  a  stroke  he  decided  on  desperate  measures. 

"I  don't  believe,"  he  said  deliberately,  "that  I  will  wait 
to  be  kicked  out.  I'll  go  to-day.  And  now,  if  you  will 
excuse  me,  I  will  telephone  home.  You  are  at  liberty  to 
tell  the  boy  a  that  you  expelled  me." 

Instead  of  a  rebuke,  Lenny  was  astonished  to  hear  in 
mournful  accents: 

"Ah,  Craigie,  can  this  be  the  sen  of  the  gallant  Cap- 
tain ?  I  am  sorry  for  your  mother." 

This  was  too  much  for  Lenny,  who  burst  out : 

"I  suppose,  sir,  you  are  sorry  for  my  mother!  But  as 
for  making  an  example  of  me — well,  isn't  it  too  much  like 
a  joke  to  pick  me  out  for  punishment  when  the  other  fel- 
lows who  have  smoked  never  had  anything  done  to  them? 
I'm  not  the  worst.  People  will  see  that  right  away.  They 
won't  understand  why  it  was  I  who  was  picked  out.  I  may 
have  been  thoughtless,  sir,  but  I'm  not  usually  given  to 


112  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

destroying  property  or  lives.  I'm  not  such  an  awful  crim- 
inal. It  doesn't  seem  quite  fair  to  make  an  example  of 
me." 

"Craigie,"  stormed  the  Colonel,  "stop  at  once!  Go  to 
your  room !  You  will  know  shortly  just  how  I  will  dis- 
pose of  this !  Silence,  sir !" 

Lenny  went  through  the  empty  formula  of  a  salute,  and 
retired. 

His  roommate  asked: 

"Was  it  really  a  cigarette  that  set  the  bed  on  fire,  Len?" 

"Now,  honestly,  don't  you  think  a  piece  of  chewing-gum 
could  do  it?"  was  all  the  satisfaction  he  got. 

Then  Lenny  settled  himself  for  a  letter,  which  ran  as 
follows : 

DEAR  JUSTIN  MAHAN:  I'm  in  a  deuce  of  a  stew  here — 
except  that  it  was  more  like  a  roast.  I  put  a  cigarette  under 
my  pillow  so  one  of  the  teachers  who  popped  in  wouldn't  catch 
me  smoking,  and  the  whole  bed  smoked,  too.  The  Colonel  who 
runs  this  pop-gun  academy  threatens  to  raise  some  more  smoke 
by  firing  me — as  an  example.  I  don't  really  think  he  will  if 
some  one  talks  to  him.  He's  got  to  be  headed  off  mighty  quick. 
I  would  be  sorry  about  being  expelled,  because  of  mother. 

Would  you  care  to  come  up  to  the  school  to  see  the  Colonel, 
and  to  tell  him  I'm  not  a  crook,  or  in  the  habit  of  burning 
down  places  as  valuable  as  this?  It  hurts  all  over  to  think 
that  I  am  to  be  picked  out  as  a  bad  case  of  wickedness.  I  know 
the  Colonel  would  give  you  a  hearing. 

As  your  client,  would  you  mind  if  I  asked  you  to  keep  mum 
about  this?  Please  oblige, 

Yours  sincerely, 

LEONARD  EWART  CRAIGIE  (LENNY). 

P.  S. — The  Colonel  smokes,  too,  so  if  you  bring  along  a 
couple  of  good  cigars,  it  ought  to  help. 

Another  P.  S. — This  may  sound  as  if  I  wasn't  in  earnest. 
But  you  have  no  idea  how  I  feel.  And  it  grows  worse  every 
minute. 

By  the  time  Lenny  had  turned  in  for  sleep,  the  whole 
school  knew  that  his  case  was  a  serious  one.  In  the  mess- 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  113 

room  next  morning,  many  crowded  about  him  with  ques- 
tions, and  he  was  the  subject  of  considerable  discussion. 
There  was  no  chance  for  sympathy,  since  he  was  not  in- 
clined to  air  his  troubles.  In  fact,  he  talked  very  little. 
He  was  anxiously  awaiting  the  outcome  of  his  letter,  al- 
though he  was  certain  that  Justin  would  not  fail  him. 

As  he  dwelt  on  the  difficulty  in  which  he  found  himself, 
his  anxiety  increased.  The  expulsion  itself  did  not  matter 
much,  particularly  as  it  would  bring  the  substitution  of  a 
tutor  for  the  academy.  He  was  concerned  about  the  dis- 
tress it  would  create  at  home.  He  wondered  which  would 
be  the  greater  blow  to  his  mother — the  enforced  with- 
drawal from  the  school,  or  the  fact  that  it  was  the  result 
of  his  smoking. 

For  a  few  moments  Lenny,  suddenly  frightened,  was  in- 
clined to  call  in  Colonel  Henderson  to  help  him.  But 
though  a  boy,  he  saw  how  it  would  put  him  under  obliga- 
tion to  his  mother's  admirer,  and  pride  kept  him  from 
making  this  move,  despite  the  fact  that  the  conference  of 
the  two  colonels  would  have  smoothed  matters  out. 

So  he  put  his  entire  trust  in  Justin,  who  was  prompt  to 
respond  to  the  appeal.  Instead  of  first  seeing  Lenny, 
Mahan  sent  up  his  card  to  the  Colonel,  and  was  immedi- 
ately shown  into  his  office.  Justin  had  no  difficulty  in  siz- 
ing up  the  former  army  man  as  a  weak  individual,  whose 
main  object  in  life  was  to  squeeze  dollars  out  of  bis  school. 

After  briefly  giving  his  reasons  for  coming  to  the  acad- 
emy, Justin  added : 

"I  would  like  to  act  for  both  mother  and  son,  even  if  it 
was  Leonard  who  called  me  in."  Then  he  asked  for  an 
exact  statement  of  what  had  occurred. 

At  first  the  Colonel  was  disinclined  to  put  himself  out 


114  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

for  the  young  man  who  sat  composedly  opposite  him;  and 
he  declared  pompously : 

"I  would  prefer  to  deal  directly  with  Mrs.  Craigie,  rather 
than  with  any  representative  of  the  boy." 

"It  would  be  unfortunate,  perhaps,  to  bring  this  to  her 
attention,"  said  Justin  thoughtfully.  "She  is  not  a  very 
strong  woman.  You  know  how  frail  she  is.  And  Leonard 
is  her  only  child.  When  it  comes  to  placing  the  blame,  she 
might  be  inclined  to  feel  outraged  that  he  should  have 
learned  to  smoke  at  this  place." 

"Am  I  to  be  held  responsible  for  that?"  cried  the  Colo- 
nel vehement!}^  taken  aback  by  the  argument.  "They  ac- 
quire other  habits  here.  Am  I  for  that  reason  to  put  a 
guard  over  every  boy?  Impossible,  sir!  That  sort  of 
thing  is  unattainable  even  at  home !" 

"I  am  still  not  convinced  that  it  is  impossible  to  check 
the  boys'  constant  smoking,"  persisted  Justin.  "It  would 
seem  more  reasonable  to  do  that  than  to  seek  to  make  an 
example  of  one  who  had  innocently  acquired  the  habit  at 
the  academy.  Leonard  Craigie  is  not  naturally  vicious. 
I  am  sure  that  you  do  not  believe  he  is !  Why  you  should 
want  to  strike  at  him  by  any  punishment  which  would  hold 
him  up  to  ridicule  is  beyond  me !" 

"To  conceal  his  cigarette — to  virtually  lie  about  it — !" 
began  the  Colonel,  trying  to  be  stern. 

"That  was  an  impulse  on  his  part,"  said  Justin.  "Noth- 
ing more.  Every  one  will  tell  you  that  he  is  an  honorable 
chap.  But  what  we  have  to  consider  is  how  Mrs.  Craigie 
will  feel  when  she  finds  that  expulsion  came  on  top  of  his 
having  acquired  the  habit  here!  And  allow  me  to  put 
this  to  you :  Mrs.  Craigie  has  an  unusually  large  circle  of 
friends  who  are  very  fond  of  Leonard.  They  will  not 
readily  believe  the  worst  of.  him.  What  they  will  wonder 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  115 

at  is  that  he  should  have  been  punished,  and  others  passed 
by.  If  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  it,  it  would  be  unfor- 
tunate for  the  academy.  Consider!  All  this  publicity 
would  advertise,  not  your  strict  discipline,  but  the  fact 
that  there  was  smoking  at  your  school !  That  is  the  thing 
which  would  linger  in  the  memory  of  people  after  they 
had  forgotten  all  about  Lenny's  expulsion.  It's  human 
nature !" 

The  Colonel  was  frightened. 

"But  to  burn  down  a  bed!"  he  murmured  helplessly, 
missing  hia  chance  for  sounder  argument. 

"Allow  me  to  ask  this:  Is  Leonard  Craigie  one  of  your 
worst  pupils?"  demanded  Justin.  "Is  it  customary  with 
him  to  defy  your  discipline  ?  Has  he  been  a  leader  in  what 
trouble  you  may  have  had  at  the  academy  ?  Then  why  not 
ehow  some  leniency?  Allow  me  to  suggest  that  you  have 
him  apologize  before  the  assembled  school  for  this  act.  Do 
not,  I  pray  you,  bring  grief  to  his  mother  by  using  drastic 
measures." 

The  Colonel  showed  signs  of  relenting.  He  said  with  a 
shake  of  the  head : 

"Craigie  would  not  allow  himself  to  get  up  before  the 
whole  school  and  admit  his  fault.  He  would  balk  at  the 
idea." 

"Ah,  but  I  give  you  my  word  that  he  will  not!" 
cried  Justin ;  although  the  next  moment  he  felt  that  a  tus- 
sle would  be  needed  to  bend  the  boy's  pride. 

"Very  well,  sir,  I  agree  to  that!"  the  Colonel  conceded. 
"I  will  do  it  for  his  mother — and  for  the  sake  of  the  mem- 
ory of  the  brave  Captain!" 

The  concession  was  made  so  pompously,  that  Justin  was 
amused.  He  said  with  a  bow,  "I  knew  you  would  think 
of  them." 


116  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Do  you  wish  to  see  Craigie?"  asked  the  principal.  "If 
you  do,  lecture  him  for  his  act!  Impress  upon  him  its 
enormity." 

"I  shall.  But  I  would  prefer  to  take  him  aside  rather 
than  have  it  out  here,"  advised  Justin.  "He  would  feel 
rebellious  under  your  eye,  and  what  I  would  have  to  say 
would  be  lost  upon  him." 

"Then  I  will  have  him  sent  up  to  his  room,  and  you 
can.  see  him  there.  He  is  in  the  Latin  class  at  present." 

Justin  was  guided  to  Lenny's  quarters.  The  latter  soon 
came  in,  with  a  hesitating  air,  as  if  he  feared  that  some  one 
else  than  Justin  might  be  there.  On  catching  sight  of  the 
visitor,  he  gave  a  glad  cry. 

"You  young  scoundrel !"  laughed  Justin. 

"Oh,  I  know  it  was  pretty  bad!"  said  Lenny  seriously, 
thus  pleasing  the  man  who  had  come  to  intercede  for  him. 
"But  I  felt  awful  at  the  notion  of  the  Colonel  picking  me 
out  as  an  example !  If  he  had  only  shown  the  least  fair- 
ness, it  would  have  been  different." 

"Although  you  were  really  to  be  fired,"  said  Justin,  smil- 
ing, "and  the  fact  burned  into  the  memory  of  every  boy 
who  came  here,  J  hardly  feel  that  your  principal  is  now 
going  to  do  either.  To  tell  the  truth,  when  I  heard  the 
story  from  him,  I  was  not  pleased  with  the  idea  of  your 
being  punished  by  a  man  of  that  sort.  And,  anyhow, 
there  is  no  particular  fun  in  seeing  you  picked  out  as  a  bad 
case.  The  Colonel  is  afraid  that  somehow  he  hasn't  been 
strict  enough  about  the  smoking.  But  you're  to  be  let  off 
easy." 

"Mother  to  be  told,  eh  ?"  Lenny  said,  trying  not  to  show 
his  anxiety. 

"No.  You  are  to  make  a  public  apology  for  the  acci- 
dent." Then  when  Justin  saw  the  distress  on  Lenny's 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  117 

face,  he  said  in  a  tone  of  pleading,  "I  gave  the  Colonel  my 
word  you  would.  I  believed  you'd  get  up  and  say  the  few 
words  he  expects  of  you." 

"Why,  yes,"  said  Lenny,  drawing  a  long  breath,  "I  will." 

"It's  a  big  thing  for  a  fellow  to  do — to  stand  up  and 
admit  he  was  in  the  wrong!"  Justin  let  him  see  another 
side  to  the  issue. 

"Oh,  that  part  of  it  was  all  right,"  said  Lenny.  "But 
I'm  not  feeling  up  to  the  mark  these  days,  and  I  don't  like 
getting  up  before  all  the  boys.  I  get  so  nervous,  that  I 
can't  find  my  voice.  But  I'll  do  it." 

"Eight,  old  man !"  cried  Justin.  "Bully  boy!  I  knew 
you  would  rise  to  the  occasion." 

"But  hadn't  you  better  tell  me  what  you  said  to  the 
Colonel?"  Lenny  coaxed.  "You  must  have  got  around 
him  somehow.  He  wanted  to  make  it  harder  when  I  saw 
him,  you  know." 

"Never  mind  how  I  did  it!"  laughed  Justin.  "You 
come  along  for  a  talk  with  him." 

It  was  not  exactly  a  crushed  wrongdoer  that  Justin  led 
into  the  principal's  room,  and  even  the  latter  was  conscious 
o£  Lenny's  dignity  and  impressed  by  his  frank  avowal  of 
wrong. 

Justin  left  the  school  with  an  odd  feeling  at  heart.  Be- 
fore him  trooped  his  own  many  "prep"  and  college  days, 
all  alive  with  boys  and  men  and  festivities  and  stirring 
athletic  contests.  The  whole  now  seemed  part  of  some 
dream;  and  he  wondered  at  the  distance  separating  him 
from  the  countless  happy  hours  spent  with  schoolmates, 
who  were  now  scattered  far  and  wide,  and  from  whom  he 
rarely  heard,  except  at  an  occasional  commencement. 

"Time  flies.  There  is  no  going  back,"  he  mused.  "Even 
the  fellows  are  not  the  same  now  that  they  were." 


118  THE  T  YE  ANT  IN  WHITE 

He  thought  of  several  whom  failure  had  blighted;  of 
some  who  cared  little  for  place  or  fame,  and  lived  quietly ; 
of  others,  again,  who  were  eager  for  the  best  that  life  could 
give  them,  and  who  struggled  to  obtain  a  high  place.  A 
few  had  been  swept  away  by  death. 

He  considered  his  own  future.  Against  the  great  joy 
of  knowing  that  it  would  be  only  a  short  time  before  Ger- 
trude would  consent  to  their  marriage,  there  was  to  be 
counted  the  fact  that  he  was  not  finding  his  own  advance- 
ment in  politics  easy.  The  small  part  he  had  played  in  the 
fall  elections  dismayed  him.  The  fault,  he  admitted,  did 
not  altogether  lie  with  the  ward  boss.  Justin  had  not  been 
able  to  do  the  campaigning  he  had  laid  out  for  himself. 
Strength  had  not  come  to  him  as  abundantly  as  he  could 
call  it  forth  in  the  past. 

This  had  frightened  him  into  a  visit  to  a  physician.  The 
latter  put  the  blame  upon  his  smoking ;  and  Justin  resigned 
it  for  just  three  days.  Finding  no  improvement  in  his  con- 
dition at  the  end  of  that  time,  and  tempted  back  to  his 
cigarettes,  he  had  gone  to  another  physician.  This  one 
overlooked  the  cigarettes  and  advised  less  office  work. 
Justin  was  disgusted  by  this  conflict  of  opinion. 

"Medicine,"  he  had  mentally  growled  as  he  left  the 
physician's  office,  "is  the  only  profession  in  which  danger- 
ous guesswork  is  made  legal !" 

On  the  train  from  the  academy  into  Philadelphia,  his 
thoughts  gradually  grew  more  cheerful,  and  finally  dwelt 
rn  the  manner  in  which  he  had  aided  Lenny. 

"I  would  not  have  missed  that  for  any  court  victory!" 
he  exclaimed.  "To  think  of  that  Colonel  getting  ready  to 
pillory  Lenny  without  a  grain  of  sympathy  for  a  decent 
chap  like  him !  I  suppose  the  boy  will  tell  his  mother  in 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  119 

good  time.  And  he  won't  hesitate  to  get  up  and  declare  his 
mistake  before  the  whole  school,  either !" 

Could  he  have  seen  how  Lenny  began  to  be  troubled 
about  this,  Justin  might  have  been  dubious  about  his 
victory.  It  was  not  the  shame  of  publicly  apologizing  which 
distressed  Lenny,  but  the  thought  of  facing  a  large  crowd. 
The  longer  he  worried  about  it,  the  more  fearful  did  the 
coming  ordeal  grow.  Two  days  were  to  intervene,  but  each 
day  assumed  the  proportion  of  weeks. 

During  recitations  his  attention  would  constantly  wander 
from  the  work  in  hand  to  what  he  would  say  in  the 
assembly  hall.  It  was  not  long  before  he  began  to  regard 
the  position  in  which  he  found  himself  as  a  worse  punish- 
ment than  expulsion  itself.  Every  hour  proved  a  terrible 
strain,  and  he  showed  the  effects  of  it. 

He  was  certain  that  his  voice  would  break  when  he  spoke. 
In  the  period  through  which  he  had  already  passed,  he  had 
found  it  difficult  to  speak  with  ease  while  reciting.  As  he 
pictured  himself  climbing  up  the  platform  steps  in  the 
assembly  hall,  he  trembled  with  fear. 

He  began  to  consider  ways  by  which  he  might  evade  go- 
ing through  the  ordeal.  There  was  a  chance  that  if  he  went 
to  the  Colonel  and  told  him  how  he  was  suffering,  he  might 
be  released  from  his  promise.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Colonel  might  set  him  down  as  a  coward.  Soon  he  began 
to  believe  that  the  only  way  of  ending  the  torture  was  to 
leave  the  academy,  and  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  his 
wrong-doing  to  his  mother.  He  was  tempted  to  do  so,  but 
put  aside  the  thought. 

On  the  night  before  the  eventful  day,  Lenny  did  not 
sleep  a  wink.  He  arose  in  the  morning  with  his  eyeballs 
on  fire  and  his  limbs  hot.  Not  a  morsel  of  breakfast  passed 
his  lips.  When  he  stood  on  his  ieet,  he  shook  lite  ft  leaf- 


I 

120  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"I'm  licked !"  he  grieved.  "It's  no  use!  I've  got  to  tell 
the  old  man  that  I'm  down  and  out!" 

And  he  sought  the  office,  white-faced,  trembling,  haggard, 
yet  desperate.  He  did  not  care  what  the  outcome  would  be, 
for  he  saw  only  defeat  ahead.  The  Colonel,  who  had  been 
about  to  go  out,  looked  curiously  at  the  boy.  Lenny 
saluted  and  waited  to  be  asked  what  he  wanted. 

In  answer  to  the  principal's  "What  is  it,  sir?"  he  said: 

"I  am  not  feeling  very  well.  In  fact,  I'm  pretty  sick. 
I'm  afraid  I  won't  be  able  to  do  to-day  what  you  wanted 
me  to.  And  I'd  like  to  get  excused  from  recitations.  I'm 
really  sick.  I'm  not  shamming,  sir." 

"Just  what  is  the  matter  with  you?"  asked  the  head  of 
the  school,  who  was  inclined  to  believe  the  boy  from  the 
external  evidences  he  presented. 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Lenny.  "I  am  weak  all  over. 
My  heart  beats  too  strongly,  and  my  head  is  dizzy.  I  feel 
as  if  somebody  was  sitting  on  my  chest.  If  you  please,  sir, 
could  I  call  up  home  on  long  distance?  I  think  I  ought 
to  be  there." 

He  was  trembling  perceptibly  now. 

"Come,  don't  be  frightened!"  said  the  Colonel,  some- 
what scared  himself.  "Go  to  your  room  and  lie  down,  and 
I  will  have  the  doctor  take  a  look  at  you.  You'll  feel 
better  soon.  You  are  excused  from  recitations." 

Murmuring  his  thanks,  Lenny  staggered  up  to  his  room. 
There  he  fell  across  the  bed,  and  lay  with  a  madly  beating 
heart,  shaking  from  head  to  foot.  The  physician  who  was 
called  in  prescribed  quiet,  and  had  Lenny  transferred  to  a 
room  where  he  would  not  be  disturbed.  To  the  Colonel  the 
physician  said: 

"You've  got  a  bad  attack  of  nerves  on  your  hands  there. 
Keep  him  quiet  for  a  week.  It  won't  be  the  last  time  he 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  121 

will  go  to  pieces  like  that.  He's  the  type.  A  frequent 
instance  of  too  much  energy  at  one  moment,  and  none  at 
all  the  next.  It's  the  American  disease." 

"He  was  to  have  been  disciplined/'  said  the  Colonel, 
"but  I  guess  that's  all  off.  I  don't  want  to  make  any 
mistakes.  You're  sure  he  isn't  shamming?" 

"With  that  pulse?  By  the  way,  I  saw  the  yellow  stains 
on  his  fingers.  They  will  smoke  despite  you,  eh?" 

"He  was  going  to  be  disciplined  for  it,"  said  the  Colonel. 

"A  little  easier  than  disciplining  the  whole  school,  I  sup- 
pose!" laughed  the  physician.  "  Three- fourths  of  your  boys 
are  users  of  cigarettes.  Why  don't  you  apply  the  brakes?" 

Since  the  physician  and  the  Colonel  were  good  friends, 
the  latter  could  express  his  helplessness  openly. 

"They'd  find  a  pretext  for  going  elsewhere,  if  I  did  put 
on  the  brakes,"  said  the  principal  with  a  shrug.  "If  I 
did  not  care  about  that  and  tried  to  stop  the  smoking,  I'd 
have  to  double  my  staff.  I  remember  how  I  used  to  get 
around  watchful  people  in  my  own  day." 

"Those  boys  will  pay  for  it,"  remarked  the  physician. 

"Pooh!  Has  it  harmed  me?"  cried  the  Colonel,  throwing 
out  his  chest,  and  stretching  himself  to  his  full  height. 

"Um,  well,  your  eyes  are  not  of  the  best,"  the  physician 
began.  "And  your  digestion  is  not  a  winner.  To  amble 
over  to  your  circulation,  why,  that  is  rather  poor.  You 
are  liable  to  colds  of  the  throat.  The  occasional  ringing 
in  your  ears  you  complain  of  isn't  due  to  the  pressure  of 
thoughts  in  your  head.  And  those  lazy  spells  which  bother 
you  come  from  the  same  source.  If  you  would  quit  smok- 
ing, you  would  have  a  few  more  years  to  yourself  before 
you  joined  your  fathers  and  bereaved  your  pupils." 

All  the  Colonel  said  in  answer  was: 

"Have  a  cigar,  Bill.    I've  got  a  new  brand  you'll  like." 


CHAPTEK  VIII 

ALTHOUGH  the  terror  of  being  publicly  branded  was  past, 
Lenny  did  not  immediately  return  to  his  former  cheerful- 
ness. One  idea  now  possessed  him — to  be  done  with  the 
academy  aa  soon  as  possible,  and  to  have  a  tutor  prepare 
him  for  college.  His  letters  occupied  themselves  more  and 
more  with  this,  and  he  built  his  ambitions  around  it  to  such 
an  extent  that  his  mother  found  herself  falling  in  with  his 
plana. 

She  believed  that  his  work  with  the  baseball  league  had 
suddenly  matured  him,  and  that  the  academy  could  never 
be  pleasing  again.  This  did  not  make  her  altogether 
happy.  She  would  have  preferred  that  he  remain  very 
much  of  a  boy  for  some  time  to  come. 

His  spell  of  illness  had  not  been  allowed  to  worry  her, 
for  Lenny  insisted  that  she  should  not  be  told  at  once,  and 
the  Colonel  had  agreed.  When  Lenny  did  write  of  it,  after 
resuming  his  work,  it  was  mentioned  carelessly. 

"The  Colonel  wished  to  spare  me  useless  worry,  I  sup- 
pose," Mrs.  Craigie  reflected,  never  having  been  able  to  see 
the  weaknesses  of  the  principal.  "I  am  sorry  Lenny  is 
thinking  of  leaving  the  academy." 

She  felt  less  regret,  however,  when  she  learned  that  one 
of  the  boys  of  the  school  had  been  expelled  for  stealing — a 
thing  before  unheard;  of  there.  Lenny  had  not  been  her 

m 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  123 

informant  in  this,  and  he  appeared  reluctant  to  discuss  it 
when  she  asked  him  about  it. 

Of  well-to-do  parents,  there  was  no  reason  why  Sylvester 
Bancroft,  the  expelled  student,  should  have  resorted  to 
stealing.  Many  complaints  of  the  loss  of  valuables  brought 
a  strict  watch,  and  Bancroft  was  trapped.  The  sort  of  boy 
he  was  showed  in  a  remark  of  one  of  his  classmates. 

"When  he  came,  we  called  him  Sylvy.  'Silly'  was  good 
enough  lately." 

After  he  had  been  sent  home,  the  boys  spoke  in  derision 
of  his  "chalk-face"  and  his  cigarette-stained  fingers.  He 
was  known  to  have  the  widest  range  of  oaths  ever  heard  at 
the  academy.  Yet  there  were  many  who  remembered  him 
as  an  unusually  pleasant  chap  when  he  first  came. 

The  Colonel  was  hard  hit  by  the  occurrence.  He  roundly 
lectured  the  school  on  vicious  habits,  and  made  a  reference 
to  "one  among  you  who  almost  destroyed  the  academy  be- 
cause of  the  vile  habit  of  smoking." 

"It  was  cigarettes  which  led  Bancroft  to  his  downfall!" 
he  thundered  at  the  assembled  school.  "I  shall  stamp  this 
out,  if  it  costs  me  my  entire  attendance !" 

He  became  vigilant,  and  for  a  time  the  neighboring 
tobacco  stores  found  their  incomes  dwindling.  Lenny  did 
not  touch  a  cigarette  for  three  weeks,  not  because  of  the 
watch  which  had  been  set,  but  out  of  fear  that  cigarettes 
might  work  some  great  harm  which  would  make  another 
Bancroft  of  him.  But  when  temptation  sorely  beset  him, 
he  laughed  himself  out  of  the  fear  that  smoking  could  be 
responsible  for  rascality. 

"Isn't  Justin  Mahan  the  soul  of  honor?"  he  argued. 
"Oh,  I  can  indulge  a  little — I  haven't  any  other  vices.  And 
if  I  have  overdone  it,  it's  because  of  the  terrible  dullness 
here.  Once  I  am  out  of  the  place,  and  begin  real  study 


124  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

and  real  work,  there  will  be  something  else  to  think  of. 
It  isn't  hurting  me.  anyhow." 

So  he  returned  to  his  cigarettes,  although  he  was  very 
careful  to  avoid  detection.  Discovery  would  have  been 
disastrous,  for  the  Colonel  was  in  no  mood  to  be  lenient. 
In  fact,  he  eyed  Lenny  rather  sternly  every  time  they  met. 

The  approaching  Christmas  holidays  meant  more  for 
that  boy  than  an  opportunity  of  seeing  his  mother.  He 
wanted  to  discuss  the  matter  of  leaving  the  academy,  and 
to  exact  some  promise  on  that  score.  At  the  same  time  he 
intended  to  have  Justin  put  in  a  word  for  him.  He  was 
certain  that  his  hopes  would  prevail,  and  so  the  day  of  de- 
parture for  home  found  him  no  longer  worried  and  wan, 
but  cheerful  and  smiling. 

His  mother's  unconcealed  joy  as  she  put  her  arms  around 
him  smote  his  conscience.  He  regretted  keenly  at  that 
moment  that  he  had  not,  in  his  letters,  confessed  about  his 
smoking.  But  this  feeling  of  compunction  soon  vanished. 

"A  fellow  can't  tell  his  mother  everything,"  he  argued. 

At  dinner,  he  asked  her  whether  she  was  displeased  with 
his  first  term's  marks. 

"Not  if  I  knew  you  were  a  little  remorseful  about  your 
laziness,"  she  said  with  a  smile. 

"Well,"  he  returned  gravely,  "I  feel  out  of  place  at  the 
academy.  It  began  with  Maur.  I  was  disgusted  to  see 
that  bully  lead  the  school  around  by  the  nose.  The  place 
didn't  seem  pleasant  because  of  him.  But  I  also  saw  that  I 
wasn't  really  preparing  for  college.  I  am  not  sure  that  the 
academy  will  help  me  in  my  entrance  exams.  So  there 
you  are !  When  a  fellow's  half-hearted,  he's  not  going  to 
exert  himself.  I'd  like  to  have  a  big  pace  set  me !  Oh,  I'm 
not  just  mooning,  mother!" 

Then  he  showered  her  with  questions  about  Conny,  Ger- 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  125 

trude,  and  Trevor.  She  tried  to  answer  his  inquiries  as  fast 
as  they  were  put. 

She  did  not  say  that  she  was  very  much  at  a  loss  to 
understand  Trevor's  position  in  the  household,  although 
his  pent-up  life  mystified  her.  It  had  become  a  subject  for 
neighborhood  gossip.  But  Mrs.  Craigie  had  never  gone 
farther  than  to  remark  to  herself,  "It  is  all  very  strange; 
but  we  shall  know  what  it  means  in  time,  since  Gertrude 
has  nothing  to  hide." 

The  gossips  were  not  so  kind.  Trevor  learned  of  this 
from  chance  remarks  dropped  by  Conny.  It  worried  him. 
He  asked  himself  whether  he  would  not  in  the  end  be 
standing  in  his  daughter's  way,  if  there  was  a  chance  of 
her  marrying  well. 

"True,  it  would  be  very  hard!  to  go  away,"  he  said  with  a 
groan.  "And  I  may  even  have  been  of  help  to  her.  But 
this  gossip  is  bound  to  hurt  her — and  her  aunt.  No !  No ! 
I  must  not  stay !" 

For  a  week  his  hours  were  filled  with  fearful  debate.  At 
times  he  thought  of  stealing  off,  never  to  return.  This 
seemed  cowardly.  So  he  summed  up  courage  one  day,  and 
presented  himself  before  Gertrude. 

"I  want  to  ask  a  favor  of  you,"  he  said,  his  attitude  very 
humble — so  humble  that  Gertrude  dismissed  the  idea  that 
he  was  going  to  beg  for  the  right  to  tell  Conny  of  his 
relationship  to  her. 

"I  want  to  go  away,"  he  announced. 

She  gazed  at  him  with  an  air  of  stupefaction. 

"To  go  away!"  she  repeated  mechanically. 

"Yes.  I  know  that  my  presence  in  this  house  is  becom- 
ing the  talk  of  those  about  us;  and  rather  than  stand  in 
your  way  or  Conny's,  I  will  take  myself  off.  I  am  feeling 
a  little  stronger;  and  perhaps  if  I  went  to  England,  I  could 


1261  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

do  character  work  on  the  stage.  I  would  prefer  to  drop 
out  of  your  lives.  I  feel  how  much  of  an  intruder  I  have 
been." 

Gertrude  turned  away  a  little  with  lowered  head.  When 
she  spoke  at  last,  there  was  a  tremor  in  her  voice. 

"I  want  to  ask  a  favor  of  you"  she  said.  Trevor's  eyea 
opened  wide.  "I  want  you  to  take  your  meals  at  my  table," 
she  told  him. 

"And  not  to  go  away?"  he  gasped. 

"No.    I  wish  you  to  remain  with  us/'  she  said. 

"But  think "  he  cried.     * 

"About  what  people  will  say,  Mr.  Trevor?  They  gosaip 
about  everyone,"  Gertrude  returned  calmly. 

"Believe  me,"  he  stammered,  "I  cannot  bear  this  good 
fortune!"  Then  he  pointed  out,  "See  how  hard  it  will  be 
for  you  and  myself  if  I  should  come  into  your  dining- 
room — where  she — Marie — ate !  If  you  but  knew  how  her 
presence  seems  to  fill  this  house !  At  nights  I  start  at  what 
appear  to  be  footfalls ! — No  I  No !  I  must  not  tell  you  these 
things !" 

He  buried  his  face  in  his  hands.  Gertrude  had  to  exert 
great  will  power  to  keep  from  going  over  to  him,  and 
soothing  him. 

"No,"  she  said  instead,  "you  must  not  tell  me  things 
like  that."  She  asked,  "Do  your  surroundings  wear  too 
much  upon  you?  I  know  everything  suggests  Marie.  But 
worse  than  all  is  our  silence  about  your  relationship  to 
Conny." 

She  waited  for  him  to  speak,  fearful  that  her  kindness 
had  given  him  an  advantage.  He  said : 

"I  am  not  restive  under  that  silence.  Will  you  allow  me 
to  make  a  bargain?  When  you  have  completely  forgiven 
me,  I  will  be  ready  to  consider  telling  Conny  who  I  am.  I 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  127 

do  not  promise  to  tell  her  even  then.  But  I  will  be  free  to 
consider  it."  Then  he  cried,  "No!  no!  We  must  not 
think  of  it  at  all !  I  am  not  worthy !  I  am  not  worthy !" 
Gathering  himself  together,  he  said  with  an  effort  at  com- 
posure, "I  will  dine  at  your  table,  if  you  so  wish." 

"I  do  wish  it,"  replied  Gertrude.  When  Trevor  bowed 
his  way  out,  she  asked  herself  in  wonder,  "What  can  time 
not  do  if  this  is  the  man  whose  heartlessness  almost  killed 
Marie?" 

It  was  at  the  dining-table  that  Lenny  found  Trevor  on 
the  next  day.  The  surprise  of  the  visitor  was  evident 
enough,  although  he  tried  to  conceal  it.  Trevor  sought  to 
save  the  situation  by  commenting  on  Lenny's  changed 
appearance. 

"I  would  say  you  were  graver,"  he  declared.  "It  is  not 
the  proper  air  to  bring  home  for  the  holidays.  Do  they  not 
meaa  the  same  to  you  as  in  the  past?  What  is  it  that 
Shakespeare  says  about  holidays?  Ah,  yes — 

"'If  all  the  year  were  playing  holidays, 
To  sport  would  be  as  tedious  as  to  work.' 

But  I  do  not  think  we  sport  enough  in  life ;  and  if  we  use 
an  hour  for  lighter  things,  we  take  it  too  seriously,  the  way 
you  do  your  athletics." 

Conny  proposed,  "Suppose  we  get  up  a  little  play  for 
New  Year's  Eve !" 

The  momentary  light  in  Trevor's  eyes  showed  how  much 
he  was  tempted.  But  he  foresaw  that  the  rehearsals  which 
would  have  to  be  undertaken  with  the  necessary  boys  and 
girls  would  focus  the  attention  of  the  community  upon 
him.  He  started  when  he  remembered  that  Conny  was 
waiting  for  his  answer.  Gertrude's  lowered  eyes  harried 
him  into  speech. 


128  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"No,"  he  said,  "I  cannot." 

"Why?"  asked  Conny. 

Gertrude  was  wondering  how  to  close  the  discussion  with- 
out appearing  to  interfere.  But  Trevor  saved  the  evening 
in  his  own  way. 

"I  do  not  wish  to  create  false  longings  for  acting  and 
the  stage,"  he  said,  with  a  touch  of  sternness.  "I  am  not  so 
sure  now,  when  I  see  what  is  becoming  of  the  theater  in  our 
country,  that  I  wculd  serve  any  good  purpose  by  inflaming 
boys  and  girls  with  a  desire  for  it.  The  applause  of  friends 
and  relatives  here  might  give  them  an  exaggerated  notion 
of  what  they  could  do.  Then  when  they  would  be  con- 
fronted by  failure  and  misery  in  their  attempts  to  get  a 
foothold  on  the  professional  stage,  they  would  lay  the 
blame  at  my  door.  The  theater  called  Life  is  trying 
enough.  Let  us  be  satisfied  with  that !" 

His  voice  had  taken  on  an  oratorical  tone  and  he  spoke 
almost  grandly.  When  he  found  Gertrude  staring  at  him, 
he  blushed  like  a  girl. 

"But  a  pretty  little  play  wouldn't  spoil  any  of  us,  I'm 
sure,"  argued  Conny.  "  Oh,  don't  be  afraid  of  my  running 
off  and  joining  some  company.  I  know  that  I  would  be 
a  grand  failure  on  the  stage !" 

But  Trevor  knew  otherwise.  He  had  watched  with  un- 
easiness Conny's  wonderful  power  of  mimicry.  Her 
ability  to  play  a  part  had  often  encouraged  him  to  fancy 
her  toying  with  audiences,  making  them  worship  her,  laugh 
with  her,  cry  with  her,  and  sending  them  away  enthralled. 
At  those  moments,  his  hopes  for  a  daughter  who  would 
win  fame  on  two  continents  battled  with  his  fears. 

Sitting  at  Gertrude's  table,  he  cringed  from  these 
thoughts. 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  your  running  away,"  he  said  un- 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  129 

steadily.  "You  have  more  useful  work  to  do  in  the  world 
than  to  amuse  people,  and  to  wear  yourself  out  doing  so. 
If  you  must  dream,  let  it  be  in  other  directions." 

When  Conny  was  alone  with  him  in  his  own  room,  she 
shook  her  finger  at  him  and  cried : 

"You  said  that  just  for  Aunt  Gertrude's  sake!  Don't  I 
know  ?  To  lecture  like  that  after  all  the  wonderful  things 
you  told  me  about  the  stage !  If  I'd  been  an  actor,  I 
would  have  stuck  up  for  my  profession !  Oh,  yes,  I 
would !" 

"It  would  kill  me  if  I  thought  I  was  influencing  you  to 
go  on  the  stage !"  Trevor  said  sternly.  Then  he  asked, 
more  calmly,  "Why  didn't  you  bring  Lenny  up  with  you?" 

"Justin  Mahfm  came  in,  and  they're  planning  about 
that  baseball  league  for  next  summer.  Oh,  why  can't  a 
boy  be  a  boy  for  all  time?  Lenny  has  grown  to  be  as 
solemn  as  a  rooster !  Here  I  go  after  him !" 

She  rushed  downstairs  to  break  up  the  baseball  con- 
ference, and  brought  Lenny  back  with  her. 

"Uncle  and  I  decided  that  you  can  put  that  talk  off  for 
at  least  a  couple  of  months!"  she  told  him.  "As  punish- 
ment for  hunting  game  out  of  season,  you  are  to  promise 
me  something." 

Thinking  it  was  to  be  something  trifling,  he  nodded. 

"You  are  to  try  for  the  baseball  team  this  spring  at  the 
academy — and  to  try  hard !"  was  the  unexpected  demand. 

When  Lenny  had  recovered  his  composure,  he  could  only 
insist,  "Of  course  I'll  not!  No,  sir!  I  wont!"  Then  he 
asked,  "Someone  has  been  putting  you  up  to  this!  Don't 
get  out  of  it  now !" 

"All  I  know  is  that  you've  promised!"  Conny  said. 

"It's  been  mother!"  Lenny  suddenly  exclaimed.  The 
silence  which  followed  this  guess  convinced  him  of  its 


130  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

correctness.  He  pleaded,  "Can't  you  see  that  even  if  it  is 
my  last  spring  at  the  academy,  Maur  wouldn't  forgive  me 
for  the  way  I've  called  him  down  about  his  crookedness  in 
athletics  ?  I  know  mother  wants  me  to  try " 

"Gabby,  it  wasn't  altogether  your  mother!"  Conny 
broke  in.  "She  does  want  you  in  the  practice  for  the  ball 
team,  and  she  has  spoken  of  the  way  you've  cut  out 
athletics.  But  she  hasn't  put  me  up  to  this !" 

Lenny  spent  some  moments  in  hard  thought.  Then  he 
waved  aside  the  plea.  "There's  no  use  letting  Maur  get  an 
extra  laugh  on  me  before  I  quit  the  school !"  he  said.  He 
added,  "It's  been  awfully  good  of  you,  Conny,  to  think  of 
what  mother  would  want."  Then  he  asked,  "Mr.  Trevor, 
is  pride  a  bad  thing?" 

"Aye,  that  it  is !"  came  in  a  sad  voice.  "But  perhaps 
you  are  right  in  refusing  to  allow  Mr.  Maur  to  humble  you 
again." 

"Now  I've  got  you!"  cried  Conny.  "At  last  I've  heard 
you  find  fault  with  someone  right  out  aloud !  Poor  Bob ! 
Poor  Bob !" 

Then  believing  that  she  had  thoughtlessly  wounded  her 
uncle,  she  began  a  series  of  capers  about  the  room;  and 
finally  burst  out  into  a  Christmas  carol,  in  which  she 
insisted  that  Lenny  should  join. 

Trevor  was  beginning  to  find  joy  in  watching  young  peo- 
ple. It  was  for  that  reason  that  he  had  listened  with  keen 
interest  to  Lenny's  account  of  his  quarrel  with  the  academy 
ball  team.  It  was  the  sincerity  of  young  people  which 
cheered  the  actor.  He  saw  that  the  exception  among  them 
was  Maur.  But  Trevor's  distrust  of  him  also  grew  out  of 
the  fear  that  'llie  bulldog  tenacity  of  that  boy  might  in  time 
fascinate  Conny,  and  that  she  might  learn  to  love  him. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  131 

"I  must  teach  her  the  value  of  thoughtfulness,  just  as 
she  has  educated  me  to  laughter,"  he  planned; 

He  could  not  understand  how  he  had  managed  to  get 
along  during  the  last  years  without  the  light-heartedness 
which  Conny  now  brought  him.  Her  sunny  moods  drove 
the  shadows  from  the  rooms.  When  Conny  smiled  it 
seemed  that  the  whole  house  was  glad.  The  merry  gleam 
in  her  eyes  would  often  save  Trevor  from  fits  of  depression. 
Her  prattle  made  him  a  willing  listener.  He  saw  why  she 
had  the  reputation  for  brightening  men  and  women  three 
times  her  age. 

"She  has  made  me  sleek  with  contentment,"  he  would 
murmur. 

It  was  her  presence  which  helped  him  to  forget  that  he 
was  practically  an  invalid,  and  that  his  nervous  condition 
was  no  passing  ailment.  When  he  had  spoken  to  Gertrude 
of  going  to  England  to  act,  it  was  out  of  sheer  desperation. 
A  few  days  of  hard  work  would  have  meant  a  serious  re- 
lapse. Even  when  he  entertained  Conny's  visitors  for  a 
few  hours,  it  taxed  his  strength.  Of  this  he  never  spoke 
to  anyone.  His  ills  were  forgotten  when  Conny  would 
say: 

"The  boys  and  girls  all  glory  in  you!  You  are  like  a 
person  out  of  a  story-book  to  them !  How,  uncle,  did  I 
ever  do  without  you?" 

It  could  not  be  otherwise  when  he  spent  most  of  his 
moments  in  planning  to  interest  her,  and  in  seeking  in 
every  possible  way  to  add  to  her  happiness.  Her  books 
occupied  his  leisure  moments.  She  discussed  her  likes  and 
dislikes  with  him.  She  told  him  all  her  thoughts. 

He  sought  to  have  her  reason  clearly,  for  he  was  not 
sure  that  unhappiness  might  not  come  to  her,  and  he 
wanted  her  sensitive  nature  strengthened. 


132  THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE 

At  times  he  would  cry : 

"Marie,  Marie,  surely  you  are  watching!  Help  me!  For 
I  am  groping.  Even  if  you  have  not  forgiven  me,  remem- 
ber that  I  must  help  to  mould  her  future !  I  must  under- 
stand her  heart !" 

In  these  moments  of  loneliness,  he  questioned  the  wisdom 
of  his  silence  about  his  paternity.  There  were  times  when 
his  patience  suddenly  dwindled,  and  he  was  forced  to  fight 
fiercely  against  the  impulse  to  gather  Conny  into  his  arms, 
and  to  tell  her  who  he  was.  But  he  kept  sternly  reminding 
himself : 

"That  would  not  be  atonement  for  my  cruelty  to  Marie ! 
I  must  not  fail  my  soul !  Is  it  not  enough  that  I  can  see 
the  child's  face  from  day  to  day?" 

He  had  never  written  a  line  of  drama,  despite  the  years 
he  had  spent  upon  other  people's  lines.  But  now  there  were 
occasions  when  he  would  see  his  own  life  in  the  light  of  a 
subject  for  a  play.  This,  too,  was  part  of  his  self-punish- 
ment, for  the  episodes  of  this  play  were  like  a  naming  sword 
to  his  conscience.  He  would  end  by  being  mentally  crushed 
under  the  weight  of  their  accusations.  No  crueler  task 
could  have  been  set  for  him. 

The  sad  hours  brought  him  by  memory  Conny  never 
guessed  as  she  eagerly  watched  the  seamed  face.  Her 
"uncle"  refused  to  speak  of  her  father  except  when  she 
caught  him  off  his  guard.  But  he  never  touched  on  Eobert 
Trevor  the  actor  without  bringing  in  the  failings  of  Eobert 
Trevor  the  man. 

"I  guess  you  will  be  the  last  one  to  forgive  him,"  Conny 
said  with  a  sigh  one  day. 

"I  hope  so !    I  hope  so  !"  was  the  fervent  reply. 

"What!"  she  gasped,  amazed  by  this  seeming  cruelty. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  133 

"Oh,  how  can  you,  uncle?  You,  the  kindest  man  in  the 
world !" 

"Because  I  know  how  much  there  is  to  forgive,"  said 
Trevor.  "But  let  us  not  speak  of  it  any  more,"  he  pleaded. 

"But  /  forgive  him!"  said  Conny. 

Trevor  helplessly  averted  his  head. 

Lenny,  for  one,  was  not  altogether  ignorant  of  the  grief 
Conny  felt  at  this  strange  silence  about  her  parents.  There 
were  moments  when  she  would  suddenly  come  out  of  a 
spell  of  cheerfulness  to  give  herself  to  tears.  Lenny  was 
not  only  tactful  enough  not  to  speak  of  it  to  anyone,  but 
he  never  asked  her  for  an  explanation.  It  only  confirmed 
Conny's  belief  that  he  was  growing  "queer." 

When  she  charged  him  with  ceasing  to  like  her,  as  he 
stood  before  her  to  say  good-by  when  the  holidays  were  at 
an  end,  he  first  laughed,  then  reminded  her : 

"I'm  about  ready  to  enter  the  university,  you  know.  So 
the  quicker  I  get  rid  of  kid  habits,  the  better.  That's  why 
I'm  quieter  now,  I  guess." 

"Am  I  one  of  your  kid  habits?"  she  asked. 

It  gave  them  a  chance  to  part  jokingly.  But  Conny 
repeated  her  charge  of  "queer"  before  Mrs.  Craigie.  The 
latter  warned  her : 

"Don't  tell  him  he  is.  You  don't  want  to  put  such  ideas 
in  his  head.  We  must  not  show  ourselves  too  conscious 
about  his  growing  up.  It  is  bad  enough  that  he  is  worry- 
ing about  his  future  already." 

"Well,  I  guess  I'm  some  of  his  future,  too !"  said  Conny 
innocently.  "He's  got  to  worry  a  little  about  me." 

His  mother  laughingly  admitted  the  soundness  of  the 
argument.  After  Conny  had  gone,  Mrs.  Mulholland  in- 
sisted that  it  was  a  very  sound  argument  indeed,  and  a 


134  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

sign  that  the  two  young  people  were  more  than  ordinarily 
fond  of  each  other. 

"Oh,  you  mustn't  plan  ahead  for  them  that  way !"  ex- 
claimed Mrs.  Craigie.  "How  little  you  allow  for  the 
changes  time  will  bring!  Lenny  will  be  more  and  more 
engrossed  in  his  work;  and  before  he  has  had  a  chance  to 
thoroughly  prepare  himself  for  life,  Conny  will  be  carried 
off  by  some  suitor.  She  will  have  many.  She  is  growing 
more  beautiful  every  day.  You  must  know  that  a  girl  at 
twenty-one  is  ready  to  become  the  mistress  of  a  household ; 
Lenny  at  twenty-one  will  be  just  beginning  to  climb  the 
ladder  of  his  profession." 

But  Mrs.  Mulholland  kept  her  own  counsel  in  the  matter. 
And  she  was  continually  advancing  arguments  to  herself 
to  back  up  her  hopes. 

"Haven't  they  always  picked  each  other  out  in  the 
crowd?"  she  would  ask.  "Isn't  she  always  coming  here  to 
talk  about  him?  Hasn't  he  begun  to  be  a  little  shy  about 
her?" 

At  the  same  time,  this  did  not  prevent  her  from  seeing 
possible  rivals  in  the  other  boys  who  called  upon  Conny. 
She  was  also  somewhat  concerned  at  the  latter's  frequent 
mention  of  Bob  Maur's  name,  even  if  Conny  did  not  show 
herself  over-enthusiastic  about  him. 

Mrs.  Mulholland  would  have  been  worried  had  she  known 
how  untiringly  Maur  kept  up  his  campaign  of  interesting 
Conny,  how  frequently  he  wrote  her,  and  of  the  gifts  he 
sent.  For  Maur's  whole  life  was  run  on  a  systematic  plan. 
His  shrewdness  had  allowed  him  to  keep  his  hold  upon 
the  academy  boys.  But  this  had  ceased  to  be  his  ambition. 
He  was  building  for  the  future,  and  the  academy  had  grown 
to  be  unimportant.  His  immediate  goal  was  not  a  career 
at  college,  despite  the  athletic  honors  it  promised,  but  his 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  135 

father's  brokerage  office.  In  preparation  for  this,  he  was 
reading  stock-market  literature. 

Lenny's  seriousness  was  not  lost  upon  him.  For  a  time 
he  was  of  the  belief  that  the  smoking  in  which  Lenny  in- 
dulged would  cripple  all  that  boy's  efforts.  Lenny's 
thoughtful  manner,  however,  and  the  report  that  he  was 
making  ready  for  college  forced  Maur  to  resign  this  idea. 
There  came  a  time  soon  after  the  Christmas  holidays  when 
the  older  boy  began  to  consider  whether  it  would  not  be 
wise  to  patch  up  his  differences  with  Lenny. 

"If  he  goes  down  and  out,"  reasoned  Maur,  "I  can't  be 
the  loser  for  standing  in  with  him.  If  he  succeeds,  why, 
it  will  never  do  for  me  to  have  him  strong  with  Conny, 
and  me  his  enemy." 

He  told  himself  that  he  was  not  afraid  of  Lenny  as  a 
possible  rival  in  Conny's  affection,  especially  when,  in  time, 
she  should  grow  serious  about  the  idea  of  marriage.  But 
he  decided,  nevertheless,  to  make  his  peace  with  Lenny. 
After  knocking  about  for  an  excuse  to  break  down  the 
barriers  between  them,  he  hit  upon  the  plan  of  offering 
Lenny  the  manager's  post  on  the  academy  baseball  team. 

When  he  approached  Lenny,  the  latter  was  thunder- 
struck. 

"Why  do  you  want  me  on  the  ball-team?"  he  asked  when 
he  had  recovered  from  his  astonishment. 

Suspicion  was  in  his  tone,  and  his  manner  was  not  in- 
viting. Maur,  however,  overlooked  this,  for  he  had  been 
prepared  to  be  received  in  just  this  way. 

"I  saw  what  you  did  with  the  league  last  summer,"  he 
said.  "That  proved  to  me  how  well  you  could  manage. 
We  won't  have  a  cinch  this  season.  It's  your  last  year  and 
mine  at  the  academy,  and  we  want  to  see  that  the  school 
makes  a  record  in  the  Inter-Academic  before  we  go." 


136  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

Lenny  was  silent  for  a  moment.    He  suddenly  said : 

"If  the  fellows  really  want  me,  let  them  ask  me." 

"I'm  running  the  team,"  replied  Maur  decisively. 

"And  the  whole  school,  too! — I  know  it!"  said  Lenny. 
"But  I  never  cared  for  a  one-man  team.  If  the  boys  elect 
me  manager,  I  will  consider  the  offer.  Put  it  up  to  them 
first.  So  far,  no  one  else  has  spoken  to  me  about  it.  But 
it  must  come  from  the  whole  team;  understand?" 

It  was  a  bitter  pill  for  Maur  to  swallow.  But  swallow 
it  he  did,  like  a  good  politician. 

"I  was  throwing  out  a  feeler  to  see  if  you  cared  to 
manage  the  team,"  he  said.  "Of  course,  it's  up  to  the 
boys  now." 

He  and  Lenny  separated  without  further  words.  Maur 
was  so  filled  with  rage  that  he  was  sorely  tempted  to  get 
the  team  to  vote  down  his  own  suggestion,  when  it  was 
made.  But  in  a  few  hours  he  was  himself  again. 

On  the  next  day  he  approached  Lenny  and  put  out  his 
hand. 

"Shake!"  he  said.  "You're  to  manage  the  team!  It 
was  unanimous !  The  boys  were  glad  to  know  you  would 
doit!" 

Then  Lenny  stunned  him  by  declaring: 

"I  have  decided  not  to.  Tell  the  boys  that  I'm  sorry 
I  can't  do  it  for  them,  but  that  I  appreciated  their  vote  of 
confidence." 

Aa  he  turned  on  his  heel,  conscious  that  Maur  was  left 
speechless,  baffled,  furious  and  white,  Lenny  felt  that  there 
had  been  some  squaring  of  accounts.  He  had  at  last  partly 
repaid  the  other  for  the  many  humiliations,  and  for  the 
persistency  with  which  Maur  had  kept  him  off  the  athletic 
field.  Not  a  pang  of  regret  marred  Lenny's  feeling  of  tri- 
umph. He  realized  then,  more  clearly  than  ever,  that  life 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  137 

at  the  academy  would  have  been  a  great  deal  of  an  inspira- 
tion and  a  finer  thing  in  many  ways  if  Maur  had  not  been 
there.  So  he  looked  upon  his  humbling  of  the  "boss"  of 
the  school,  in  so  decisive  a  manner,  as  a  worthy  task  well 
accomplished. 


CHAPTER  IX 

INTENT  upon  finishing  up  his  academy  work  creditably, 
and  beginning  as  soon  as  possible  the  bigger  work  which 
was  to  follow,  Lenny  resisted  the  temptation  of  trying  for 
a  place  on  the  ball  team  that  spring.  Maur's  antagonism 
would  not  have  deterred  him.  Lenny  felt  that  there  was 
room  for  a  public  clash.  Opposition  to  Maur  had  cropped 
up  in  several  quarters,  and  the  school  was  ready  to  awaken 
to  the  fact  that  he  had  been  running  things  with  a  high 
hand.  And  since  it  promised  to  be  Lenny's  last  year  at  the 
academy,  the  boys  would  have  encouraged  his  trials  for  the 
shortstop  position. 

But  there  loomed  before  Lenny  the  words,  "Mahan  and 
Craigie,  Attorneys-at-law ;"  and  he  was  eager  for  the  time 
when  this  ambition  would  be  realized.  Maur  played  no 
part  in  his  plans  for  the  future. 

"Wait  until  he  gets  out  of  the  academy !  It  won't  be 
eo  easy  for  him  to  boss  everybody !"  was  the  way  Lenny 
dismissed  him  from  his  thoughts. 

Another  reason  for  his  withdrawal  from  athletics  was  the 
somewhat  backward  physical  condition  in  which  he  found 
himself.  He  could  not  altogether  understand  this. 

"Too  much  study  hasn't  done  it,"  he  reflected.  "I've 
studied  just  as  hard  in  other  years.  It  can't  be  the  smok- 
ing, for  that  sort  of  tones  me  up  when  I  get  fagged.  I 
wonder  what  it  is!" 

138 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  139 

He  came  to  the  conclusion  that  his  summer's  stay  in 
town  had  not  been  in  his  favor.  This  did  not  deter  him, 
however,  from  planning  to  further  strengthen  the  baseball 
league.  The  fund  for  its  permanent  home  was  growing. 
Another  successful  season  would  bring  still  more  generous 
support.  And  Lenny  made  ready  to  catch  the  well-to-do 
Germantown  dwellers  before  they  departed  for  the  various 
summer  resorts. 

When  the  academy  sessions  closed,  he  was  full  of  regret 
for  the  many  farewells  his  going  meant.  He  never  be- 
lieved that  so  many  boys  would  care.  But  as  his  home 
came  into  sight,  after  he  left  the  train,  this  ceased  to 
occupy  him. 

His  mother  was  more  inclined  to  discuss  the  next  fall's 
tutoring,  than  his  intended  stay  in  Germantown  that  sum- 
mer to  further  the  success  of  the  league. 

"You  are  not  looking  well,"  she  said. 

"Ah,  but  I  was  living  indoors !"  he  replied.  "We'll  give 
the  league  a  chance  to  reverse  things.  I'll  be  on  the  out- 
side most  of  the  time,  you  know." 

"Outside  during  hot  weather  is  as  bad  as  inside  during 
winter,"  she  argued. 

There  was  a  discussion  until  he  promised  to  spend  part 
of  his  summer  away  from  Germantown. 

"Of  course,  I  shall  do  a  little  reading  each  day  on  the 
subjects  I  will  have  to  prepare  for  college,  whether  it  is 
summer  or  not!"  he  said. 

But  almost  immediately  he  was  forced  to  scurry  about  to 
secure  grounds  for  the  numerous  clubs,  because  several  of 
the  vacant  lots  had  been  used  for  the  erection  of  houses. 

"The  men  I  go  to  for  the  money,"  he  told  Conny,  "are 
not  so  slow  to  respond  to  the  'touch'  as  they  were  last 


140  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

summer.  Is  it  because  I  have  added  to  my  growth,  or  be- 
cause the  league  has  made  good?" 

"It  must  be  because  you're  really  beginning  to  resemble 
a  man,"  was  the  malicious  reply. 

Conny  did  not  seem  as  important  to  him  as  on  the  pre- 
vious summer  until  she  left  for  a  Massachusetts  resort  with 
her  aunt,  Trevor  accompanying  them. 

!  "Say,  Conny,  come  back!"  Lenny  wrote  her.  "It's 
gotten  so  lonely  all  of  a  sudden,  that  I  stop  in  front  of  your 
house  every  time  I  pass,  and  whistle  to  make  believe  you're 
there.  Not  that  I  haven't  plenty  to  do.  But  here's  mother 
gone,  and  you.  The  houskeeper  is  all  the  company  I  have 
for  meals.  Her  brilliant  'yes'  and  'no'  in  conversation 
wears  on  me.  Once  in  a  while  I  invite  somebody  down. 
Mother  keeps  urging  me  to  get  away.  But  the  league 
won't  let  me.  And  I've  found  that  when  a  fellow  wants 
something  done,  the  best  thing  is  for  him  to  do  it  him- 
self." 

Instead  of  herself  praising  his  devotion  to  the  German- 
town  boys,  Conny  let  him  see  how  she  felt  by  merely  re- 
peating what  her  uncle  said  in  praise  of  it.  Lenny  was 
hugely  pleased.  Later,  Conny  spoke  of  the  odd  way  in 
which  her  uncle  had  begun  to  keep  to  his  room.  The  rea- 
son for  this  did  not  lie  in  the  coolness  Gertrude  displayed 
when  in  his  presence.  An  incident  had  occurred  which 
had  frightened  Trevor. 

It  began  when  he  discovered  that  a  theatrical  manager 
he  had  known  in  former  years  was  stopping  at  a  neighbor- 
ing hotel.  For  a  while  Trevor  hid  his  anxiety  from 
Gertrude.  But  there  came  a  time  when  this  was  no  longer 
possible.  The  manager  passed  him  on  an  unfrequented 
path — which  Trevor  had  purposely  chosen  in  the  hope  of 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  141 

escaping  this  encounter — and  had  caught  sight  of  the 
actor's  half  averted  face. 

He  called  at  once  after  the  rapidly  moving  figure. 

"I  say,  Trevor!  Trevor!" 

Finding  that  the  tall  figure  would  neither  turn  nor  halt, 
the  manager  stood  perplexed  for  a  moment,  ready  to  believe 
himself  mistaken.  But  the  temptation  to  have  another  look 
at  the  familiar  face  was  too  much  for  him.  He  rapidly 
caught  up  with  Trevor,  and  touched  him  on  the  arm. 

The  actor's  past  training  now  stood  him  in  good  stead. 
He  contorted  his  face  out  of  semblance  to  itself,  and  easily 
looked  eighty  when  he  turned. 

"I  beg  your  rmrdon,"  said  the  manager,  somewhat  be- 
wildered. "I  thought  you  were  one  Robert  Trevor.  As  it 
is,  you  resemble  him — although  he  would  be  a  younger 
man." 

"My  name  is  not  Craven,  sir.  No,  sir,"  came  in  a 
squeaky  voice. 

The  manager  apologized,  and  went  on  his  way.  Trevor 
hurried  tremblingly  to  his  hotel,  in  a  very  troubled  frame 
of  mind.  Seeking  out  Gertrude,  he  asked  to  have  a  few 
moments  with  her,  and  told  her  what  had  happened.  When 
she  spoke,  it  was  to  say : 

"Perhaps  you  might  go  to  some  other  resort  for  a  few 
weeks.  This  man  is  not  likely  to  stay  here  long." 

Trevor  could  not  hide  how  he  felt  about  this  threatening 
separation  from  Conny.  As  he  stammered  some  words  of 
agreement  with  what  Gertrude  advised,  she,  filled  with  pity 
for  his  distress,  said : 

"After  all,  there  may  be  no  reason  for  alarm.  There 
are  many  striking  resemblances  in  this  world,  and  he  will 
really  believe  he  made  a  mistake." 


1421  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"I  shall  take  care  not  to  encounter  him  again/'  said 
Trevor,  sternly,  as  if  it  would  be  a  crime  to  do  so. 

Gertrude  let  the  matter  drop  at  this  point.  But  as  she 
saw  how  severely  Trevor  was  inclined  to  deal  with  himself, 
she  stood  ready  to  admit  that  his  punishment  had  been 
sufficient,  and  that  they  should  no  longer  seek  to  prolong  it. 

"I  believe  he  is  sincere,"  she  told  herself.  "But  should 
I  not  wait  a  little  longer?  There  is  too  much  at  stake. 
Not  that  he  is  playing  a  part.  Still,  there  is  Conny's 
money ;  and,  besides,  he  might  be  tempted  by  the  chance  of 
separating  her  from  me." 

She  was  sorry  for  this  mistrust  of  Trevor.  She  felt  that 
she  would  have  been  less  inclined  to  it  if  Conny  were 
stronger-minded. 

"If  I  died,"  Gertrude  reflected,  "and  if  by  some  chance 
Trevor's  nervousness  should  make  him  irresponsible  or  less 
kind,  who  would  stand  between  him  and  Conny?" 

So  Gertrude  stiffened  herself  against  the  carelessness 
with  which  she  had  come  to  regard  the  actor.  He  was  too 
troubled  by  his  encounter  with  the  manager  to  notice  this. 
He  now  wore  his  glasses  at  all  times  to  give  him  an  aged 
appearance,  although  for  two  weeks  he  hardly  ventured  out 
of  his  room.  When  Conny  complained  of  his  shut-in  life 
to  Gertrude,  the  reply  was: 

"He  most  likely  prefers  it,  even  if  he  has  given  no 
reason.  You  ought  to  understand  that  there  are  lots  of 
things  we  do  not  explain.  Oh,  how  young  you  are !" 

"Well,  there  are  very  few  things,  aunt,  that  he  doesn't 
explain  to  me!"  said  Conny,  surprised  at  her  aunt's 
impatience. 

In  her  next  letter  to  Lenny,  Conny  wrote: 

"Do  you  know  what  I've  been  thinking  and  thinking 
about  ?  That  when  aunt  gets  married — and  I  guess  it  isn't 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  143 

hard  TO  guess  who  the  lucky  man  will  be! — and  when  I 
come  into  my  property,  I  am  going  to  have  a  pretty  home 
of  my  own  I  And  uncle  is  going  to  sit  at  the  head  of  the 
table  to  carve,  and  boss !  I  tell  you,  he's  glorious !" 

From  German  town  came  in  a  hurried  scrawl: 

"Count  on  me  for  a  carving  set  when  you  start  your 
establishment.  But  the  day  you  come  into  your  money, 
a  slice  of  it  is  going  to  the  league !  Oh,  yes,  it  will  always 
be  needing  things!  There  are  new  kids  growing  up  all  the 
time,  you  know. 

"Say,"  went  on  the  letter,  "you  ought  to  see  how  the 
league  is  licking  everything  it  tackles  around  Philadelphia. 
A  couple  of  high  school  fellows  joined.  I  wasn't  in  favor 
of  that  kind  of  thing  at  first.  But  they're  not  snobbish, 
and  it  sort  of  helps  along.  And  when  it  comes  to  yelling 
at  the  umpire,  I  guess  the  high  school  fellows  are  no  better 
than  the  others.  Justin  Mahan  has  been  doing  a  lot  of 
coaching.  I  am  going  to  join  mother  for  a  week.  No 
more  than  that !  Am  reading  all  the  time  so  as  to  drop 
right  in  on  study  in  September." 

He  did  not  tell  Conny  that  he  was  badly  in  need  of  the 
week's  rest  he  was  to  take.  He  would  have  gone  earlier 
except  that  he  knew  his  smoking  would  have  to  be  lessened 
when  he  was  near  his  mother.  When  the  latter  saw  his 
tired  face  and  nervous  manner,  that  week  became  two. 

On  his  return  to  the  city  he  found  the  clubs  of  the 
league  in  a  wrangle  over  the  question  of  charging  admis- 
sion to  the  more  important  games.  The  idea  was  prompted 
by  the  wish  to  secure  additional  funds  for  the  erection  of 
the  club-house. 

Lenny  lined  up  with  the  opposition. 

"No  matter  how  low  an  admission  you  charge,"  he 
argued,  "you  will  keep  out  the  people  who  enjoy  seeing  you 


144,  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

play — your  own  folks.  You  want  the  crowd,  and  not  the 
very  few  who  think  they  do  you  a  favor  by  coming  to  the 
games.  We  are  getting  the  money  we  need  about  as  fast 
as  we  expected  to  get  it — and  a  little  faster.  You  will  do 
more  by  making  the  game  popular  than  by  giving  it  an 
appearance  of  professional  baseball.  And  if  you  sat  down 
and  figured  out  how  much  you  would  make  by  charging 
admission,  you'd  find  it  wasn't  worth  while !" 

The  final  vote  supported  Lenny's  contention.  When  he 
was  on  the  way  home,  some  one  slapped  him  on  the  back 
and  cried: 

"Good  boy!    You've  got  the  right  idea!" 

"I  didn't  know  you  were  there,  Mr.  Mahan,"  said  Lenny, 
coloring  like  a  girl.  "Strange  I  didn't  see  you!" 

"I  was,  though.  And  I  heard  you.  The  idea  of  hiring 
enclosed  fields  and  charging  an  admission  was  really  out  of 
spirit  with  what  they  should  be  after.  It  was  certain  to 
lead  to  wrangling,  in  time.  You  were  right,  too,  about 
their  having  their  own  people  instead  of  toadying  to  those 
who  have  money — even  if  it  means  us,"  Mahan  said  with  a 
smile.  Then  he  hastened  to  correct  himself.  "No,  not 
exactly  us,  I  suppose — but  our  friends  who  drop  in  at  the 
end  of  summer,  and  'Oh  !'  and  'Ah !'  over  the  thing.  Still," 
he  added,  smiling  again,  "you  sounded  dangerously  like  a 
demagogue  when  you  set  those  fellows  against  aristocrats 
who  could  afford  five  and  ten  cents  to  witness  a  game." 

"I  know  it  is  a  small  sum "  began  Lenny. 

"It's  all  right!  I  understand!  I  must  have  my  joke, 
you  know!"  said  Mahan.  "Of  course  you  were  looking 
out  for  the  principle  of  the  thing !  That's  what  makes  me 
hope  you  won't  be  a  politician." 

"Oh,  I've  got  to  get  to  Congress  some  time!"  Lenny 
laughingly  replied. 


THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE  145 

"As  if  I  didn't  know  why  you  started  the  baseball 
league !"  said  Mahan. 

"That's  why  I'm  going  to  start  as  a  law  freshman  next 
year,  too !  But  suppose  you  come  and  have  dinner  with  me 
in  my  loneliness  this  evening,  and  we'll  talk  politics — or 
rather,  you'll  talk  it." 

Justin  accepted  the  invitation,  much  to  Lenny's  joy ;  and 
as  they  walked  on  and  chatted,  there  sang  through  that 
boy's  veins : 

"You  and  I,  Justin  Mahan,  are  going  in  for  team  work 
in  law  in  a  few  years !  In  a  few  years !" 

And  Lenny's  voice  deepened  as  he  conversed.  He  was 
slower  in  making  replies,  as  if  he  wished  to  weigh  what  he 
said.  His  eyes  were  full  of  seriousness.  His  stride  was 
measured.  And  altogether  he  seemed  to  have  aged  five 
years  in  as  many  minutes. 

The  thing  which  struck  Justin,  and  of  which  he  spoke  in 
his  next  letter  to  Gertrude,  was  the  increasing  resemblance 
of  Lenny  to  his  father. 

"He  is  Captain  Craigie  to  the  life,"  Justin  wrote.  "You 
know  how  I  fairly  worshiped  the  Captain;  so  all  his  man- 
nerisms stuck  in  my  memory.  And  here  is  Lenny  with  the 
same  boundless  energy,  the  same  restlessness,  the  same 
habit  of  throwing  back  his  head  during  excitement,  the 
same  quick,  sharp  laugh,  the  same  sudden  moodiness.  Every 
expression  of  his  face  brings  back  the  Captain,  although 
I  was  but  a  boy  when  the  Captain  died.  How  a  boy's  mind 
will  fix  memories  for  all  time !  As  for  Lenny,  let  us  hope 
that  no  calamity  of  inaction  will  fret  him  to  death  as  it 
did  the  Captain." 

That  sort  of  inaction  was  far  removed  from  Lenny's 
daily  existence.  Every  moment  of  his  time  was  fully  oc- 
cupied. To  get  money  for  the  clubhouse,  he  interviewed 


146  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

storekeepers  and  politicians,  professional  men  and  real 
estate  dealers,  and  whatever  well-to-do  women  happened  to 
be  in  Germantown  during  the  warm  weather.  He  was  not 
content  to  rest  with  a  plea  for  support.  He  urged  upon 
those  whom  he  tried  to  interest  that  they  should  come  to 
the  ball  games. 

One  of  the  business  men  he  approached  tried  to  cut  him 
short  by  saying: 

"And  so  you  believe  people  will  care  to  listen  to  a  boy, 
eh  ?  Some  of  them  may.  But  what  you  had  better  do  is  to 
turn  over  this  collection  of  funds  to  a  committee  of  men 
who  have  standing  in  the  community.  You  can't  have 
gotten  very  much/* 

Lenny  began  his  reply  by  bringing  out  a  formidable  list 
of  names  and  contributions.  When  the  astonished  man  had 
studied  these  for  several  moments,  Lenny  said: 

"It's  only  right  that  a  boy  should  do  it,  for  he  knows 
just  what  a  boy  wants.  He  certainly  needs  a  clubhouse, 
just  like  a  man,  especially  those  fellows  who  haven't  at- 
tractive homes.  You've  seen  them  standing  around  corners 
on  winter  evening?,  or  in  cigar-stores,  because  there  were 
no  other  places  to  go  to.  And  we're  after  an  athletic  club. 
It  would  be  partly  run  by  the  boys  themselves.  Many  boys' 
clubs  don't  succeed  because  they're  sort  of  'hand-me-down' 
affairs.  Why,  the  more  I  think  of  it,  the  more  I  wonder 
how  the  boys  ever  did  without  the  club  we  have  in  mind !" 

This  was  his  line  of  argument ;  and  because  of  the  back- 
ing he  had  received  at  the  start,  the  club  ceased  to  be  merely 
"in  the  air."  His  mother  had  difficulty  in  getting  him 
away  to  the  seashore  again  for  two  more  weeks  before  the 
season  ended.  During  this  fortnight,  he  spent  half  of  his 
time  in  writing  letters  to  people  in  Germantown  about  the 


THE  TYRANT  IN"  WHITE  147 

league.  It  was  then  that  his  mother  found  him  doing 
considerable  smokicg.  She  was  frightened. 

"You  never  told  me !"  she  said. 

"Well,  you  see,  when  I  am  busy  I  haven't  much  desire 
to  smoke,"  he  said.  "That's  the  reason  I  wanted  to  get 
back  to  Germantown  as  fast  as  I  could." 

Mrs.  Craigie  was  thunderstruck. 

"Why,  you  speak  like  a  confirmed  cigarette-smoker !"  she 
cried. 

"Oh,  no,  mother!"  he  replied.  "I  do  indulge  occasion- 
ally. But  if  I  thought  it  was  getting  any  hold  on  me, 
don't  you  think  I  would  come  to  you  and  tell  you?" 

"Would  you,  Lenny?"  she  asked,  almost  pleadingly. 

"Of  course,"  he  said,  putting  his  arm  about  her.  "But 
it's  all  because  I'm  restless  and  not  working.  Now  that  I've 
promised  to  stay  the  two  weeks,  I  will.  But  I'm  anxious  to 
get  back.  You  have  no  idea  how  much !  Even  though  I 
feel  bad  about  leaving  you.  What  fun  to  think  of  being 
near  you  while  I  am  tutoring!" 

"You  promise  never  to  hold  back  anything  from  me  that 
concerns  your  well-being?"  his  mother  asked. 

"I  promise,  mamsy.    Whom  else  could  I  go  to?" 

After  this  when  he  wished  to  smoke,  he  took  care  to  be 
out  of  her  way.  It  was  one  of  the  reasons  why  he  was 
happy  at  last  to  get  back  to  Germantown.  There  the  needs 
of  the  league  once  more  absorbed  him.  When  his  mother 
returned,  she  discovered  that  he  was  but  little  inclined  to 
talk  about  a  tutor.  He  was  full  of  the  clubhouse  project 
from  the  very  moment  she  crossed  the  threshold. 

She  cast  about  for  some  means  of  bringing  back  his  in- 
terest in  hia  tutoring,  for  she  did  not  wish  to  humiliate  him 
by  pointing  out  that  he  had  ceased  to  care.  A  happy 


148  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

thought  struck  her.  She  decided  to  ask  Justin  Mahan  to 
engage  Lenny  in  a  long  talk  about  his  future  law  work. 

The  result  was  what  she  had  expected.  In  a  week  Lenny 
was  clamoring  for  a  tutor.  In  another  week  he  was  under 
the  wing  of  one.  It  was  not  without  great  hesitancy  that 
he  allowed  his  clubhouse  project  to  pass  into  the  hands  of  a 
committee  of  Germantown  citizens.  He  only  turned  over 
his  lists  of  names  and  promised  sums  of  money  after  he 
had  seen  Justin  Mahan  elected  head  of  this  committee. 

Then,  satisfied  with  the  wide  newspaper  publicity  which 
had  come  to  the  league,  and  certain  of  its  future,  he  was 
ready  to  give  his  entire  attention  to  his  work. 

"It's  to  be  'Mahan  and  Craigie' !"  he  kept  repeating  when 
he  encountered  difficulties  in  his  studies. 

An  additional  impulse  to  get  on  was  to  come  from  a 
visit  to  Conny  and  the  actor.  Maur  had  just  left  Trevor's 
rooms;  and  as  Lenny  settled  himself  comfortably  for  a 
chat,  he  found  Conny's  uncle  still  under  the  spell  of  that 
boy's  visit. 

"I  am  amazed  at  his  energy,"  said  the  actor.  "I  have 
never  seen  a  youth  who  builded  so  confidently.  And  it  is 
more  than  conceit.  He  has  a  sure  hold  upon  himself,  and 
he  will  succeed.  But  I  do  not  like  his  too  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  world.  He  ought  not  to  have  it  at  his 
age.  When  he  takes  on  that  air  of  worldliness,  I  am  sad- 
dened. He  has  changed  greatly  in  the  last  year !" 

"  He  will  certainly  succeed,"  said  Lenny. 

"I  told  him  he  should  not  give  up  the  idea  of  going  to 
college,"  the  actor  went  on.  "But  he  believes  that  he  would 
not  profit  by  it.  He  thinks  a  man  should  fall  on  his  feet 
early.  I  did  not  wish  to  tell  him  that  we  were  talking 
about  boys." 

Lenny  was  tempted  to  laugh,  but  did  not,  lest  it  should 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  149 

appear  that  he  was  enjoying  the  joke  because  it  was  at 
Maur's  expense. 

"He  spoke/'  Trevor  said,  "of  how  he  astounded  his 
father  with  his  knowledge  of  the  stock-market.  He  must 
he  a  hard  worker.  Ah,  success  is  in  the  blood !" 

For  once  the  actor's  talk  irritated  Lenny.  But  he  mas- 
tered his  jealous}^,  and  rose  to  the  occasion. 

"Bob  Maur  has  grit,"  he  said.  "He  must  have  had  a 
tussle  with  himself  about  not  going  to  college,  where  he 
would  have  shone  in  athletics.  They  would  have  made 
much  of  him  there.  But  when  he  sets  his  mind  on  any- 
thing, nothing  else  counts,  and  he  can  stand  a  great  deal." 

"Even  me,"  said  Trevor  with  a  laugh.  "I  know  he 
tolerates  me  because  of  Conny.  I  suppose  I  mustn't  bear 
him  a  grudge  for  that." 

As  Lenny  turned  to  see  what  effect  these  words  had  upon 
Conny,  there  suddenly  and  startlingly  dawned  upon  that 
boy's  mind  a  reason  for  Maur's  great  ambition.  It  was 
Conny  that  Maur  wanted !  And  knowing  his  bulldog  de- 
termination, Lenny  felt  that  Maur  would  keep  on  until 
Conny  found  that  she  preferred  him  to  any  one  else,  and 
would  not  be  able  to  do  without  him. 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?  You  look  frightened!"  cried 
Conny. 

"Frightened ?  What  about ?"  asked  Lenny  with  a  forced 
laugh. 

Then  he  found  an  excuse  for  getting  hurriedly  away,  so 
he  could  think  matters  over.  Boy  though  he  was,  he  saw 
clearly  that  Conny's  present  likes  and  dislikes  would  not  be 
her  future  ones.  And  even  Maur  might  change. 

At  once  Lenny  began  to  consider  how  he  might  fight 
the  latter's  influence.  Lenny  had  no  thought  of  regarding 
his  girl  friend  in  a  more  serious  light  than  heretofore.  His 


150  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

entire  object  was  to  defeat  Maur  because  he  did  not  believe 
him  worthy  of  Conny. 

No  sooner  did  he  come  to  this  conclusion  than  it  colored 
everything  he  did.  He  went  at  his  lessons  energetically, 
and  was  not  at  all  frightened  when  his  tutor  pointed  out 
that  the  year  would  have  to  be  a  strenuous  one  if  he  ex- 
pected to  enter  the  law  school  the  following  fall  without 
conditions. 

Working  in  the  midst  of  his  home  surroundings,  he  got 
more  out  of  his  books  than  at  the  academy.  By  dint  of 
mighty  effort,  he  partly  overcame  the  poor  memory  with 
which  he  had  been  troubled  during  the  previous  year. 
When  the  tendency  to  sit  back  and  idle  would  come  on,  he 
would  picture  Maur  happy  with  many  tasks  at  his  father's 
brokerage  office;  and  it  sufficed  to  set  Lenny  going  again. 

As  a  consequence  of  his  arduous  application,  he  went  out 
but  little,  and  when  he  had  leisure  he  planned  the  interior 
of  the  boys'  clubhouse.  Conny  took  him  to  task  more  than 
once  for  the  too  few  visits  he  paid  her. 

"But  I'm  trying  to  be  somebody!"  he  said.  "Can't  you 
see  that  I've  got  to  be  up  and  doing,  or  I'll  be  left  behind 
by — everybody?"  "By  Maur"  was  on  the  tip  of  his  tongue, 
but  he  checked  himself  in  time.  "And  you  know  my  rea- 
son for  hustling.  I've  got  to  be  good  enough  to  be  worthy 
of  becoming  Justin  Mahan's  partner.  I've  told  you  that 
before " 

"But  now  I  know  you  mean  it !"  cried  Conny  exultantly. 
"Isn't  it  glorious  to  stop  thinking  about  things,  and  to 
begin  doing  them!" 

"So  you  mustn't  mind  if  I  don't  come  often,"  Lenny 
urged. 

"But  you  do  get  out  for  walks!  Didn't  your  mother 
tell  me  ?"  Conny  tripped  him  up. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  151 

"Well,  I  like  lo  moon  by  myself,"  Lenny  said  weakly. 

"Just  to  smoke — and  to  pretend  you're  thinking!"  Then 
seeing  that  he  was  hurt,  Conny  cried, "  Say,  isn't  it  fine  to 
be  working  where  your  dad  spent  so  much  time?  No 
wonder  you  have  such  big  ambitions!" 

"Yes,  it  is  fine,"  said  Lenny  simply. 

He  did  not  tell  her  that  there  were  times  when  he  had 
the  feeling  of  his  father's  presence  hovering  over  the  room. 
It  grew  to  be  a  conviction,  but  it  brought  no  fears  in  its 
train.  He  had  but  to  study  the  portrait  of  the  hero  with 
eagerness  to  evoke  this  feeling.  So  there  was  an  additional 
prompting  for  hard  work. 

The  tutor  was  all  praise.  And  Mrs.  Craigie  saw  Lenny's 
application  with  a  thrill  similar  to  the  one  which  had 
shaken  her  when  she  received  the  news  of  her  husband's 
heroism  on  the  Niagara.  But  Lenny  was  finding  the  strain 
a  little  too  great,  although  he  did  not  give  any  sign  of  it. 
Soon  he  began  to  dwell  on  the  relief  Christmas  week  would 
bring.  His  mother  insisted,  when  that  time  came,  that  the 
week  should  be  lengthened  to  two.  It  was  stretched  into 
four,  because  during  the  second  week  he  grew  suddenly 
ill. 

There  was  no  hurt  anywhere;  just  a  general  collapse. 
He  put  his  case  thus  to  the  doctor  when  his  mother  was 
out  of  earshot:  "I  feel  as  if  I  could  rest  forever.  I  never 
thought  there  was  that  kind  of  a  quit  to  me!" 

During  these  four  weeks  Lenny's  ambition  was  like  the 
smoky  flame  of  a  lamp  whose  oil  has  been  burned  away. 
Several  times  there  was  this  question  on  the  tip  of  his 
tongue:  "Doctor,  do  you  think  the  cigarettes  did  it?" 
But  since  the  physician  spoke  only  of  hiu  overwork,  and 
did  not  at  all  mention  the  smoking,  Lenny  felt  that  the 
question  would  be  ridiculous. 


152  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Why  should  it  be  cigarettes?"  he  asked. 

His  mother  crushed  down  the  fears  which  assailed  her, 
and  tried  to  lighten  his  hours.  Conny  came  to  cheer  him, 
and  to  read  to  him.  Justin  brought  him  the  news  of  the 
latest  increases  in  the  clubhouse  funds.  Finally  a  visitor 
appeared  whose  coming  made  Lenny  stare  with  wide-open 
eyes,  his  mouth  agape.  It  was  Bob  Maur.  Lenny  was  al- 
most speechless  when  the  visitor  extended  his  hand. 

"Heard  you  were  laid  up,  old  man,"  said  Maur  in  the 
most  composed  of  voices.  "But  I  thought  it  wouldn't  hurt 
if  we  had  a  talk.  I'm  deuced  sorry  to  see  you  down." 

Despite  this  seeming  display  of  friendship,  Lenny  could 
have  taken  his  oath  that  Maur  had  come  to  gloat  secretly 
over  his  breakdown.  Although  Lenny  tried  to  overcome 
this  feeling  of  distrust,  he  could  not. 

Bob  Maur  was  saying,  "I  want  to  see  more  of  you  when 
you  get  up.  It's  foolish  for  us  not  to  get  together.  Scraps 
might  have  been  all  right  when  we  were  kids,  but  I  guess 
there  isn't  anything  more  to  scrap  about !" 

With  one  mighty  effort,  Lenny  flung  away  his  suspi- 
cions, and  accepted  Maur's  visit  as  if  it  had  come  from  an 
old  friend. 

"If  I  get  the  time  we  shall  certainly  see  more  of  each 
other,"  he  said.  "I'll  be  up  soon.  Those  law  school  exams 
have  to  be  passed  this  fall,  and  I'm  tired  of  being  an 
invalid !" 

Lenny  suddenly  felt  while  he  was  talking  that  he  was 
being  studied  in  a  far  from  sympathetic  way.  But  he  took 
himself  to  task  again. 

"Why,  Maur  may  have  the  best  intentions  in  the  world 
in  coming  here !"  he  mentally  exclaimed. 

It  happened,  however,  that  the  visitor's  thoughts  ran 
somewhat  thus : 


THE  TYKANT  IN"  WHITE  153 

"You  aren't  going  to  enter  the  law  school  in  a  hurry! 
Nor  set  the  world  on  fire !  How  can  anybody  take  you 
seriously?  Conny  will  soon  see  what  a  failure  you  are, 
and  will  be  done  with  you !" 

Outwardly  Maur  was  cordiality  itself,  and  wanted  to 
know  all  about  Lenny's  preparations  for  the  "exams."  In 
return  he  spoke  of  his  intention  of  entering  a  large  broker- 
age firm  in  New  York,  where  he  would  profit  by  being  close 
to  Wall  Street. 

"No  amateur  stunts  for  me!"  he  declared.  "I  want  to 
get  close  to  the  men  doing  the  big  things !  We're  slow  in 
Philadelphia.  I'm  the  sort  of  man  who's  not  satisfied  with 
half  a  loaf.  And  I  like  a  good  big  fight!  Even  if  I  am 
young,  I  won't  be  awfully  handicapped,  because  there's  a 
bunch  of  money  coming  to  mo  soon.  Queer,  isn't  it,  the 
way  we  were  kids  at  school  ?" 

At  once  they  were  busy  reviving  academy  days.  Before 
leaving,  Maur  showed  his  interest  in  the  league  clubhouse 
by  speaking  of  the  way  it  had  endeared  Lenny  to  the  boys 
in  Germantown. 

"Oh,  I  guess  the  whole  thing  has  done  as  much  for  me 
as  I  have  done  for  it!"  was  the  reply  of  the  boy  propped 
up  in  bed.  "When  a  fellow  gets  useful,  it  gives  him  more 
confidence  in  himself.  We've  certainly  had  a  bully  after- 
noon, haven't  we  ?" 

"We'll  have  another  one  pretty  soon,"  said  Maur,  with  a 
warm  shake  of  Lenny's  hand. 

When  he  had  gone,  Lenny  was  sorry  that  his  mother  had 
not  been  at  home  to  listen  to  the  talk. 

"She  would  have  known  right  away  whether  he  was 
sincere  or  not !"  he  was  certain. 

He  was  amused  to  think  that  not  once  had  Conny's  name 
been  mentioned.  Then  he  set  his  jaws,  and  his  eyes  glowed 


154  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

as  the  determination  to  succeed  surged  through  him  with 
new  force.  The  presence  of  Maur  had  aroused  him  from 
his  lassitude.  It  was  not  the  visitor's  show  of  friendship 
which  had  stirred  him;  it  was  Maur's  air  of  assurance,  his 
energy,  and  his  plans. 

"I  am  going  to  get  out  of  bed  this  week,"  Lenny  said  to 
his  mother  when  she  appeared.  "I've  got  work  in  my 
bones,  and  it's  time  I  quit  lying  here !  Don't  be  afraid  that 
I'll  overdo  it.  But  you  see,  when  I'm  doing  nothing  I 
only  worry !" 

And  he  had  his  way,  although  he  got  into  harness  again 
rather  slowly,  out  of  deference  to  his  mother's  wishes.  His 
decision,  "The  law  school  this  fall,  or  bust!"  was  only  for 
Conny's  ears.  When  his  mother  pleaded  that  he  should 
not  be  in  haste,  he  said,  "If  you  only  knew  how  naturally 
lazy  I  was,  you  wouldn't  worry  a  minute !" 

Mrs.  Craigie's  great  grief  was  that  he  did  not  have  a 
physique  which  would  tide  him  over  exacting  periods.  De- 
spite her  belief  in  useful  people,  she  would  have  been  satis- 
fied if  he  had  fallen  back  on  a  less  trying  profession  than 
law.  Remembering  the  high  marks  Lenny  had  won  for 
essay  writing,  she  had  an  ambition  that  he  should 
write  books ;  and  she  would  have  been  happy  in  this,  even  if 
he  never  won  fame  or  place. 

But  she  recognized  that  his  nature  loved  contest,  and 
that  law  would  somewhat  satisfy  his  restlessness.  Where 
his  father  had  sought  for  the  chance  to  conquer  on  the 
seas,  Lenny  would  seek  to  do  the  same  on  land.  To  his 
mother  there  was  terrible  pathos  in  his  having  inherited 
this  love  of  struggle  in  a  weak  body. 

Without  having  had  any  reason  for  doing  so,  she  resigned 
the  idea  that  he  would  ever  give  himself  to  excessive 
smoking.  As  she  watched  him,  she  came  to  believe  that  she 


THE  TYEANT  Itf  WHITE  155 

had  put  too  much  blame  on  the  cigarette  for  her  husband's 
tragic  end.  In  both  his  case  and  Lenny's  it  appeared  that 
ambitious  souls  had  been  planted  in  unambitious  bodies. 
She  prayed  for  strength  for  her  son;  and  she  prayed  for 
strength  for  herself,  that  she  might  be  of  use  to  him. 

It  did  not  take  long  for  Lenny  to  guess  the  troubled 
state  of  his  mother's  mind.  He  began  to  seek  ways  of  les- 
sening it.  When  he  felt  moody,  he  hid  the  fact.  He 
hid  his  weariness.  He  laughed  when  he  was  far  from  in- 
clined to  do  so,  and  tried  always  to  bring  her  a  cheerful 
countenance.  More  than  this,  he  never  argued  with  her 
when  she  offered  advice,  much  as  he  always  differed  with 
others.  When  he  found  himself  worn  out  after  a  stretch 
of  hard  study,  he  would  take  himself  out  of  the  house 
rather  than  risk  showing  his  excessive  tiredness. 

All  this  proved  a  nervous  strain  on  his  mind  and  body. 
But  he  schooled  himself  against  it.  "I  am  not  a  boy  any 
longer,  and  I  must  get  a  grip  on  myself !"  he  kept  saying. 

Because  of  the  fact  that  he  did  not  believe  himself  a  boy 
any  longer,  he  entered  into  a  humorous  exchange  of  words 
with  his  mother  on  what  he  considered  an  important  issue. 
This  was  after  she  had  called  him  "Lenny"  before  some 
visitors.  On  their  departure,  he  said: 

"You'll  think  I'm  queer,  mother.  But  won't  you  please 
call  me  Leonard  from  now  on  ?" 

"Of  all  things!"  she  exclaimed,  taken  aback.  "What 
has  gotten  over  you  ?" 

"I  wish  you  would,"  he  pleaded.  "There's  a  kid  sound 
about  'Lenny'  that  makes  folks  smile.  It's  as  bad  as 
'Willy.'  I  remember  when  Will  Burchell  was  at  the  acad- 
emy during  my  first  year  there.  A  chum  of  his  on  the 
campus  yelled,  '0  Willy !'  up  to  his  room.  Well,  every  fel- 
low at  the  academy  had  his  head  out  of  a  window  in  a  min- 


156  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

ute,  and  there  was  a  roar  of  '0  Willy !'  You  could  have 
heard  it  a  mile.  Burchell  pulled  in  his  head  as  if  he  had 
been  shot.  Talk  about  being  mad !  Of  course,  they  didn't 
try  to  kid  him  about  it,  for  he  had  his  full  growth — six 
feet  in  his  stockings — and  had  a  fist  like  a  Belgian  block. 
Let's  try  Leonard,  mother." 

She  yielded,  although  reluctant  to  surrender  a  name  she 
had  used  from  his  babyhood  days.  Conny  was  less  tracta- 
ble. She  suggested,  with  a  roguish  tilt  of  her  head,  "Len- 
no,"  and  decided  to  make  it  Len. 

"Len  it  is  then,"  said  the  boy  concerned.  "But  Lenny 
is  taboo.  If  you  make  it  Leonard,  I'll  forgive  you  for 
that  'Lenno'." 

But  Conny  wanted  at  least  a  week  to  think  the  change 
over,  with  the  right  to  "Lenny"  him  in  the  meantime  to 
her  heart's  content. 

"I  guess  I  won't  be  around  for  that  week,"  he  said. 

"If  you  don't,  I'll  call  you  Tienny'  until  you're  old 
enough  to  be  in  your  second  childhood  again !"  she  warned 
him. 

"Oh,  you're  a  shrew,  and  no  mistake!"  said  Lenny  with 
a  sigh. 

He  had  time  for  only  one  visit  during  that  week.  The 
briefness  of  his  stay  did  not  allow  him  to  escape  the  stream 
of  "Lennys"  she  hurled  at  him.  He  stood  it  heroically 
for  a  while.  Then  he  began  to  roll  "Con-stance"  off  his 
tongue  with  a  solemn  air,  and  with  telling  effect,  for  Conny 
hauled  down  her  colors  at  once. 

Most  people  now  called  him  Leonard.  •.  At  first  the  nov- 
elty of  this  pleased  him.  But  there  were  other  things  to 
absorb  his  attention.  The  year  of  preparation  for  college 
was  going  rather  fast.  Spring,  the  period  of  his  first  en- 
trance examinations,  hove  into  sight  at  an  alarming  rate, 


THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE  157 

before  Lenny  was  ready  to  admit  that  the  time  for  the  test 
was  actually  at  hand. 

Justin,  whom  he  encountered  just  before  the  examina- 
tions, noted  the  lifeless  eyes  and  the  tense  face  which  Lenny 
had  masked  before  his  mother. 

"Heigh  ho,  man!"  cried  the  attorney.  "You're  over- 
doing it !  You'd  better  pull  up !" 

"Do  I  look  it?"  asked  Lenny.  "Well,  I  guess  it's  a  case 
of  too  much  midnight  oil.  But  it  will  be  over  soon.  The 
work  was  a  little  tougher  than  I  expected.  Once  I've 
passed  the  harder  subjects,  I  won't  have  so  much  to  think 
about  this  summer.  Then  I'll  take  a  long  rest.  Have  you 
got  a  cigarette  ?" 

"Nice  question  for  a  man  in  mental  training  to  put!" 
laughed  Justin. 

"I  guess  you've  got  to  keep  fit  as  a  fiddle  yourself,  and 
I've  never  seen  you  without  your  cigarettes !"  Lenny  got 
back  at  him. 

"That  point  counts  for  you!  But  really  it's  rot  about 
the  harm  of  smoking!"  said  Justin,  as  he  handed  him  a 
cigarette.  "It's  hard  work  that  does  one  up,  not  a  few 
whiffs  of  this  little  white  friend  of  ours.  You  talk 
about  exams,  Leonard !  Why,  I  never  quit  having  them ! 
They're  cropping  up  for  me  in  one  form  or  another  all  the 
time.  But  I'm  not  going  to  preach.  Say,  I've  a  notion  to 
get  up  a  crack  non-professional  baseball  team  this  summer, 
and  to  tour  the  country  with  it,  in  a  series  of  exhibition 
games." 

"Wouldn't  that  be  splendid !"  cried  Lenny,  his  eyes  glow- 
ing. 

"It  might  be  if  I  had  the  time.  But  our  boy-days  are  the 
only  leisure  ones  we  ever  get.  Turn  the  affairs  of  the 
league  this  summer  over  to  somebody  else,  Leonard,  and 


158  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

do  rest  up,"  was  Justin's  parting  admonition  as  he  held 
out  his  hand. 

"Oh,  it  will  he  fun  to  live  and  dream  baseball  after  the 
long  nightmares  of  exams !"  was  Lenny's  reply. 

He  hailed  the  first  day  of  the  trials  with  relief.  Al- 
though he  entered  the  class-room  a  little  nervously,  he  was 
certain  about  his  subject.  After  he  read  the  algebraic 
questions  on  the  paper  handed  to  him,  he  was  startled  to 
find  his  mind  a  complete  blank  about  the  means  of  solving 
the  problems. 

He  sat  stunned.  Then  he  waited  fearfully  for  his  mem- 
ory to  right  itself.  Thinking  that  his  new  surroundings 
had  unduly  upset  him,  he  lolled  back  and  tried  to  be  at 
ease.  But  a  renewed  attempt  at  work  proved  futile. 

"What  can  be  the  matter  with  me?"  he  gasped,  the  per- 
spiration in  beads  on  his  forehead. 

He  went  at  the  questions  like  a  madman.  Everything 
came  wrong,  even  the  easiest  of  the  problems.  Finally, 
when  he  looked  fit  his  watch,  he  saw  that  no  matter  how 
quickly  and  surely  he  might  now  work,  there  was  no  hope 
for  his  finishing  in  time. 

Getting  dully  out  of  his  seat,  he  left  the  room,  ignoring 
the  look  of  surprise  of  the  instructor,  who  had  expected  a 
paper  from  him.  On  the  train  home,  he  studied  the  ex- 
amination questions.  As  he  saw  how  they  could  have  been 
solved,  tears  of  mortification  sprang  to  his  eyes.  He  an- 
grily brushed  them  away. 

"How  can  I  tell  her?  How  can  I  tell  her?"  he  kept 
repeating,  as  he  pictured  his  mother  standing  on  the  porch, 
eager  for  news  of  what  he  had  done.  "Won't  she  be  fright- 
ened?" he  asked  himself. 

As  he  hopelessly  watched  the  streets  of  Philadelphia 
change  into  those  of  Germantown,  there  flashed  through 


THE  TYBANT  IK  WHITE  159 

his  mind  the  possibility  of  saving  his  mother  from  grief  by 
telling  her  a  lie.  At  once  he  was  in  the  turmoil  of  a  strug- 
gle with  his  conscience.  The  arrival  of  the  train  at  his 
station  decided  him  in  favor  of  the  lie. 

So  he  said  that  he  had  been  mistaken  about  the  hour  of 
the  examination,  and  had  come  too  late.  He  wound  up 
by  cheerfully  declaring: 

"I'll  pass  that  subject  in  fall,  never  fear !  It  isn't  as  if 
I  had  failed.  I've  got  the  algebra  down  pat!  So  there 
won't  be  much  about  it  to  study  again." 

Happy  that  he  had  not  taken  the  mistake  too  much  to 
heart,  his  mother  readily  agreed  with  him  that  there  was 
no  cause  for  worry.  He  decamped  as  quickly  as  possible, 
flying  desperately  to  the  subject  which  would  come  up  on 
the  next  day. 

With  it  he  fared  better  in  the  test.  History  was  the 
topic,  and  he  answered  all  the  questions  in  full.  But  dur- 
ing the  examinations  which  followed,  the  outcome  was  a 
blow  to  him.  Three  more  subjects  than  he  had  counted 
upon  would  have  to  be  carried  into  the  fall  for  another 
trial. 

No  one  but  his  mother  knew  of  this.  His  humiliation 
was  bitter.  When  his  mother  pleaded  with  him  to  put  off 
his  entrance  to  college  for  a  year,  he  cried : 

"Oh,  I  couldn't  now!  I've  set  all  my  hopes  on  going 
this  fall.  After  all,  mother,  even  if  I  don't  pass  every- 
thing then,  I  can  carry  a  few  'conditions'  for  a  little  while. 
A  year  of  law  would  mean  a  great  deal  to  me.  I'll  study 
three  hours  every  day  this  summer,  so  that  I'll  enter  with- 
out any  conditions  at  all !" 

He  only  had  his  way  when  he  agreed  that  for  that  sum- 
mer at  least  he  would  not  devote  any  time  to  the  league, 


160  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

but  would  go  to  some  quiet  resort  where  a  tutor  would  help 
him  over  difficulties,  and  where  there  would  be  a  chance 
both  to  rest  and  work. 

Lenny  was  puzzled  to  understand  why  he  had  failed  "to 
come  up  to  the  mark"  in  his  studies,  since  in  former  years 
the  same  amount  of  application  would  have  carried  every- 
thing before  it.  His  spells  of  weakness  also  gave  him  con- 
cern. 

"They  always  said  I  had  ability,"  he  kept  telling  him- 
self. "But  now,  when  I  need  it  most,  I  haven't  any !" 

During  the  summer,  Justin,  who  had  virtually  taken 
charge  of  the  league,  kept  him  informed  of  all  its  doings. 

"We're  the  talk  for  miles  around,"  he  wrote.  "Chal- 
lenges are  coming  from  every  direction." 

Whimsical  letters  from  Conny  filled  in  many  of  Leon- 
ard's leisure  moments.  They  often  recalled  the  days  when 
he  and  Conny  were  children  together.  In  the  lonely  mo- 
ments which  visited  him  every  now  and  then,  he  would 
admit  that  he  needed  her  very  much.  A  letter  which  she 
treasured  read  as  follows: 

It's  all  right  to  talk  about  a  smoke.  And  gab  with  a  man 
may  be  good.  But  give  mo  Us,  Conny,  Us!  You  are  one  of  the 
few  people  I  have  endless  time  for.  So  when  your  letter  don't 
turn  up  when  I  expect  it,  there's  an  awful  silence. 

Of  course,  I  meet  girls  here.  But,  oh!  And  again,  oh!  Your 
uncle  always  speaks  about  holding  up  a  mirror  to  nature. 
I  don't  think  the  girls  here  would  have  time  to  make  any  such 
spare  use  of  their  mirrors. 

Why  were  you  born  a  girl?  Just  think  of  the  fine  tom- 
boy you  were  when  we  were  kids  together.  Not  that  you've 
altogether  outgrown  it!  But  I  get  the  creeps  sometimes  think- 
ing you  might.  It  leaves  me  with  a  feeling  as  if  I  had  been 
put  on  a  raft  in  the  middle  of  the  ocean. 

I  often  think  of  the  nuisance  you  were  when  you  wanted  to 
go  along  with  the  fellows.  You  couldn't  have  been  higher 
than  two  feet  then.  The  fellows  did  certainly  hate  you.  It 
makes  me  laugh  to  remember  the  time  you  fell  into  that 


THE  TYRANT  IN*  WHITE  161 

drinking  trough  for  horses.  Oh,  Miss  Constance,  you  were 
a  sight  when  we  got  you  out! 

I  wonder  whether  I  ever  bore  you.  I  puzzle  even  myself  at 
times.  Ever  do  that?  Don't!  It  makes  me  think  of  a  kitten 
chasing  after  its  own  tail. 

Think  of  me  plenty.  I  believe  I'd  know  if  you  stopped. 
That's  one  of  the  ghost  feelings  I  have.  Oh,  I'm  a  wizard! 
But  an  awfully  sleepy  one  just  now.  So  good-night. 

Although  Conny  knew  that  his  friendship  for  her  waa 
strong  and  sincere,  she  did  not  dream  that  her  letters  often 
urged  him  on  in  his  work  when  he  was  tempted  to  stop. 

There  was  some  one  else  to  whom  letters  from  her  proved 
encouraging.  This  was  Bob  Maur,  who  was  putting  in  his 
whole  summer  with  a  brokerage  house  in  New  York.  He 
took  care  to  let  her  know  that  without  an  occasional  word 
from  her,  he  would  not  be  able  to  apply  himself  so  uncom- 
plainingly to  his  work. 

"If  I  get  where  I  want  (and  I  don't  see  any  reason  why 
I  will  not),  I'll  have  you  to  thank  for  it !"  he  wrote. 


CHAPTER  X 

JUSTIN"  received  a  letter  from  Gertrude  during  August, 
saying  that  she  intended  to  come  home  sooner  than  she  had 
planned.  She  was  brief,  and  gave  him  no  clue  to  the  rea- 
son for  this  move,  greatly  to  his  bewilderment. 

"Whatever  may  have  prompted  her  to  do  it,  'it  is  an  ill 
wind  that  doesn't  blow  somebody  good'!"  he  reflected. 
"When  she  is  away  from  me  it  is  not  as  if  I  were  near  her 
and  influencing  her." 

With  Gertrude  came  Conny  and  Trevor.  Justin  took 
them  home  from  the  station,  surprised  that  Gertrude  kept 
her  face  averted  during  the  ride.  Once  at  the  house, 
Conny  scurried  to  her  uncle's  room  to  see  that  he  was  made 
comfortable.  Gertrude  led  Justin  into  the  spacy  library, 
which  was  shaded  to  keep  out  the  summer  heat. 

"I  can't  understand  why  you  should  have  returned  in 
the  awful  torrid  weather  we  are  having!"  Justin  began 
when  Gertrude  remained  silent. 

"Were  you  not  braving  it,  and  working  in  it?"  came  al- 
most timidly. 

Justin  was  dazed  for  a  moment. 

"I?"  he  murmured.  "Why,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to 
be  here !  But  you !" 

He  waited  for  some  real  explanation  of  her  early  return. 
None  seemed  forthcoming.  At  a  stride  he  was  at  her  side, 
and  leaning  over  her  chair. 

162 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  163 

"Is  it  possible  that  you  are  here  because — because — of — 
me  ?"  he  asked,  almost  halted  by  the  sound  of  his  own  voice. 

She  looked  up  at  last,  and  said  quietly,  though  with  a 
tremor  in  her  voice : 

"For  several  weeks  I  tried  to  bear  being  alone.  But  I 
needed  you  too  much.  You  remember  those  short,  halt- 
ing letters  of  which  you  could  make  nothing?  My  being 
away  from  you,  dear,  was  getting  to  be  unbearable.  And 
now — and  now " 

Justin  folded  her  into  his  arms. 

"Life  has  begun  to  mean  something  tangible  and  some- 
thing grand  for  me !"  he  said  at  last. 

"Oh,  you  knew  I  would  come  to  you  soon !  Why,  every- 
body was  waiting  for  me  to  do  this,"  Gertrude  told  him 
with  a  smile,  although  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes. 

The  Germantown  residents,  when  they  returned  from 
the  resorts,  learned  of  the  engagement  without  manifesting 
any  surprise,  although  a  goodly  number  of  prominent 
young  men  mourned  the  news.  To  Mrs.  Craigie  and 
Lenny  particularly  it  was  full  of  satisfaction.  The  latter, 
however,  was  too  busy  to  say  more  than,  "Oh,  I  knew  it 
would  happen !" — for  the  fall  examinations  were  ahead. 

A  furious  last  moment  spurt  carried  him  into  the  law 
school.  Failure  in  two  subjects  kept  the  victory  from  be- 
ing complete.  In  order  to  remain  a  law  student,  he  would 
have  to  pass  these  subjects  before  spring. 

This  did  not  trouble  Lenny  as  much  as  the  new  method 
of  instruction  he  encountered.  Instead  of  daily  recita- 
tions, he  attended  lectures,  at  which  many  courses  of  read- 
ing were  mapped  out. 

Worried  by  tht;  possibility  of  not  being  able  to  keep  pace 
with  these  courses,  he  took  his  difficulties  tp  Justin,  who 
bore  him  away  to  lunch  to  talk  matters  over. 


164  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Although  I'm  awfully  glad  you're  not  to  have  as  much 
time  to  spare  as  before,"  said  Lenny,  to  show  how  he  felt 
about  Justin's  engagement,  "I  won't  be  sorry  to  use  some 
of  it." 

"Ah,  my  boy,  don't  you  know  that  when  a  fellow  gets  a 
thing  off  his  mind,  he  has  more  time  than  ever  ?"  said  the 
happy  man  in  a  burst  of  joyous  confidence.  "So  you're  to 
come  down  every  day,  and  ask  all  the  questions  you  want. 
You're  perfectly  right  not  to  be  groping  about.  I  don't 
believe  it  always  helps  to  throw  a  fellow  upon  his  own  re- 
sources when  he  is  learning  the  a-b-c  of  anything." 

During  the  many  hours  and  half-hours  they  spent  to- 
gether, Justin  was  somewhat  surprised  to  discover  the 
amount  of  smoking  Lenny  did.  The  older  man  said  noth- 
ing about  this,  as  he  considered  it  hypocrisy  to  take  Lenny 
to  task  for  something  which  he  was  himself  doing.  He 
saw  that  when  Lenny  was  not  indulging  in  cigarettes  he 
was  restless. 

The  latter  spoke  to  his  mother  enthusiastically  of  Jus- 
tin's patience,  kindness  and  unlimited  good  nature. 

"You  think  he's  a  very  fortunate  man  to  win  Gertrude 
Breen,  don't  you?"  he  said.  "Let  me  tell  you,  she's  just 
as  fortunate !" 

Although  Lenny  found  himself  less  bewildered  now  in 
his  study  of  law,  because  of  Justin's  help,  he  was  having 
a  great  deal  of  irouble  to  memorize  the  work  laid  out  for 
him.  He  also  had  to  combat  periods  of  lassitude,  when  his 
inclination  waa  to  throw  books  aside  and  to  be  careless 
about  the  consequences. 

He  could  not  understand  this.  Nor  did  it  at  first  give 
him  much  concern,  because  pressure,  in  the  shape  of  recita- 
tions, was  not  being  applied.  But  his  habit  of  putting 
things  off  began  to  fill  him  with  worry  as  examination 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  165 

period  rolled  around  again  after  what  appeared  to  be  a  very 
fehort  year.  Justin's  help,  it  was  true,  had  been  fortunate 
in  certain  directions.  It  could  not,  however,  entirely  take 
the  place  of  study. 

As  spring  came,  Lenny  saw  with  fear  a  likelihood  of  his 
failing  completely  in  the  trials  for  promotion.  Going  to 
Justin,  he  confessed  his  state  of  mind.  Justin  was  sur- 
prised and  puzzled. 

"You  certainly  worked  very  hard!"  he  said. 

"I  am  not  sure  that  I  did,  now  that  I  see  what  a  mesa 
I  have  made  of  it,"  was  Lenny's  honest  statement  of  the 
case. 

"You  don't  mean  that  you  deliberately  wasted  your 
time !"  exclaimed  Justin. 

"I  don't  really  know  what  happened.  Something  was 
wrong !  I  don't  know  whether  it  was  my  fault.  You  know 
I  haven't  any  vices,  and  I  don't  dissipate.  I  assure  you 
I  don't!"  Lenny  said.  "Yet  I  can't  concentrate,  I  can't 
make  facts  stick  in  my  memory,  and  I  haven't  the  vim  I 
once  had.  Oh,  I  knew  all  along  that  the  failure  would 
accumulate !  It  sort  of  made  me  ashamed  of  myself.  I 
cut  out  visiting  Conny  and  other  people,  thinking  that  if 
I  stayed  at  home  I  would  get  lots  of  work  done.  What  the 
dickens  do  you  think  is  the  matter  with  me  ?  Have  I  got 
a  yellow  streak?" 

"Why,  no!  Of  course  not!"  said  Justin.  "I  think  I 
understand  now.  It  brings  me  back  to  my  first  year  at 
college.  At  the  start  I  got  an  attack  of  something  like 
stage-fright.  Things  went  against  me  all  the  time.  I 
blundered  fearfully  in  recitations.  I  got  behind  in  my 
work.  And  I  found  everything  going  wrong.  It  made 
me  mad  clean  through;  so  I  put  the  brakes  on  that  down- 
hill slide.  But  although  I  got  a  grip  on  myself,  it  took 


166  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

fearfully  hard  work  to  keep  from  losing  a  year.  The  start 
had  been  wrong,  you  see.  Now  your  case  may  be  similar. 
The  academy  was  no  sort  of  preparation,  and  you  got  at 
your  law  in  a  timorous  frame  of  mind." 

"Yes,  it's  something  like  that!"  said  Lenny.  "What 
would  you  advise  ?" 

"That  you  take  the  year  over  again,"  said  Justin;  and 
was  immediately  sorry  he  had  spoken  as  he  saw  Lenny's 
head  fall  miserably  on  his  breast.  "Go  up  for  the  exami- 
nations, though,"  Justin  suggested.  "It's  the  sort  of  ex- 
perience you  need.  Come,  you're  a  young  chap ;  and  you'll 
be  studying  law,  anyhow,  for  some  time  after  you  graduate. 
We  never  quit.  Why  are  you  so  bent  on  doing  the  course 
in  exactly  the  three  years  laid  out  by  the  college,  anyhow  ?" 

"Because  most  of  the  fellows  will  do  it  in  that  time," 
said  Lenny.  "And  I  hate  to  lose  a  year!  The  thought 
fairly  upsets  me!" 

"But  those  three  years  are  only  a  sort  of  average,"  Jus- 
tin argued.  "Any  professor  you've  been  with  would  ad- 
vise you  to  make  it  four.  Take  the  whole  four,  and  con- 
sider yourself  lucky  that  you  are  young  enough  to  be  able 
to  do  so,  and  have  the  money.  But  by  all  means  go  up 
for  the  exams.  Even  if  you  don't  pass  in  all  the  subjects, 
it's  an  education  to  tussle  with  examination  papers  for  a 
couple  of  hours." 

"Yes,  I'll  take  them  all !"  Lenny  said. 

"Good!  And  if  you  can  stand  any  more  advice  from 
me,  use  all  your  summer  to  rest  up  in,"  Justin  urged. 
"Don't  open  a  book  for  the  four  months.  Never  mind 
about  your  haste  to  become  a  Judge. — You  don't  mind  my 
preaching,  do  you?" 

"Certainly  not !"  replied  Lenny.     "But,"  he  added  with 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  167 

a  smile,  "it  wouldn't  be  a  bad  idea  if  you  took  a  couple  of 
months  off !" 

Justin  flicked  the  ashes  from  the  end  of  his  cigarette, 
and  looked  thoughtfully  at  the  speaker. 

"I  don't  know  but  what  you're  right,"  he  said.  "But  I 
simply  can't  get  the  time!"  He  spoke  regretfully.  As 
Lenny  arose  to  go,  Justin  told  him,  "Old  man,  I  believe 
in  your  ultimate  big  success.  I  think  you  will  get  all  you 
want.  But  take  your  time.  Never  mind  about  not  get- 
ting  through  college  on  schedule  time.  Ten  years  from 
now  it  won't  make  a  bit  of  difference!" 

Lenny's  face  flushed  with  pleasure  when  he  left  the  of- 
fice. But  Justin  was  far  from  happy. 

"By  George!"  he  was  saying  in  a  low  voice,  "all  the 
troubles  which  have  beset  Lenny  seem  almost  a  repetition 
of  mine !"  He  got  to  his  feet,  and  began  to  pace  the  floor. 
"No  energy,  no  power  of  concentration — nothing!  And 
yet  I  didn't  start  with  that  frail  physique  of  his.  I  had 
muscles  to  burn!  Strange!  Everything  hasi  come  topsy- 
turvy!" 

He  began  to  reconsider  what  he  ought  to  do  about  leav- 
ing the  firm  with  which  he  was  practicing.  It  was  not  a 
new  subject  of  discussion.  The  two  partners  of  the  firm 
seemed  to  be  ignoring  him,  and  the  chance  of  his  soon  be- 
ing made  one  of  them  looked  slim. 

"Oh,  I  will  get  out  for  myself!"  he  told  Gertrude  that 
evening.  "I  must  start  on  my  own  hook!  They'll  never 
make  a  partner  of  me.  They  have  no  use  for  young  blood. 
Do  you  know,  I  have  an  idea  that  they're  beginning  to 
consider  me  a  failure !" 

"Impossible!  Impossible!"  cried  Gertrude.  "You  must 
be  patient !  And  I  would  rather  you  gave  up  all  your  time 
to  law,  and  did  not  bother  about  politics.  That  is  taking 


168  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

your  time  from  work  in  the  office.  It  is  handicapping 
you." 

"Oh,  I  must  do  both,  and  do  them  well!"  he  replied. 
"You  surely  don't  think  I'm  a  weakling!  If  you  hadn't 
discouraged  my  intended  fight  against  the  ward  bosses,  I 
would  have  scored  heavily,  dear.  As  it  is,  I  must  be  pa- 
tient while  other  men  are  climbing  over  my  head !  Fight 
is  the  keynote  of  politics !" 

"But  you  know  what  your  support  would  have  been  in 
that  fight !"  Gertrude  reminded  him. 

He  had  nothing  to  say.  The  fact  was  that  in  seeking 
to  band  together  the  younger  men  of  the  ward  who  were 
disgruntled  with  the  party  leaders,  he  had  been  somewhat 
unfortunate.  He  had  turned  to  men  who  were  discredited 
among  the  better  people  of  Germantown.  In  most  cases 
they  had  money,  which  would  have  been  valuable  in  finan- 
cing the  fight.  But  when  he  asked  Gertrude  to  receive 
them  in  her  house,  she  raised  her  hands  in  horror. 

"Why,  you  know  what  I  think  of  Lucas  Clifton  and  the 
rest,  dear!"  she  said.  "Do  give  up  this  revolt  against  the 
bosses  until  you  are  stronger  in  the  ward !  Your  battle  is 
half  won  if  you  have  a  fine  following." 

But  Justin,  who  had  been  losing  friends  of  late,  rather 
than  making  them,  because  of  his  general  unrest  and  im- 
patience, could  not  allow  his  plans  to  be  overridden  like 
this. 

"Why  can't  you  be  tolerant  about  Clifton?"  he  asked. 

"You  know  why,  Justin,"  she  said.  "He  is  untrust- 
worthy. What  is  his  pretence  of  practicing  law,  if  not  a 
plan  to  stand  in  well  with  his  grandfather,  to  get  his  money 
when  he  dies?" 

"But  if  I'm  to  succeed  in  a  big  way,  and  at  once,  how 
can  I  afford  to  spend  my  time  questioning  each  man's  mo- 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  169 

tives?"  asked  Justin.  "I  must  gather  what  elements  I 
can.  When  I  have  succeeded,  I  can  discard  the  untrust- 
worthy ones.  I  must  make  use  of  men  like  Clifton  and 
Pierce." 

"Pierce,  the  gambler!  How  can  you?"  Gertrude  asked, 
amazed.  "Surely  you  can  wait  if  you  are  determined  to 
build  up  a  strong  reform  movement !  You  must  have 
friends  at  your  side,  not  cast-offs !" 

"And  be  betrayed  by  one's  friends!"  he  exclaimed.  "I 
tell  you,  my  eyes  have  been  opened  of  late!  I  have  found 
that  men  upon  whom  I  banked  have  proved  treacherous. 
Why  am  I  being  neglected  ?  No,  I  will  not  wait  for  these 
so-called  good  friends !  I  will  build  up  a  following  of  my 
own !" 

He  was  to  mistrust  that  following  when  Lucas  Clifton 
in  an  unsober  moment  at  a  cafe  spoke  slightingly  of  Ger- 
trude in  his  hearing.  There  was  the  impact  of  a  fist 
against  a  jaw,  and  the  half-drunken  Clifton  measured  hia 
length  on  the  floor.  Only  the  interference  of  bystanders 
kept  Justin  from  giving  the  offender  a  severe  thrashing. 

That  blow  effectively  knocked  out  Justin's  hopes  for  a 
new  political  party.  His  career  in  politics  was  saved  only 
because  of  Clifton's  fear  that  if  he  told  the  ward  leaders 
about  Mahan's  intentions,  he  would  have  to  explain  why 
he  was  so  ready  to  help  him. 

Justin  used  every  means  to  keep  what  had  taken  place  in 
the  cafe  from  reaching  Gertrude's  ears.  It  got  there,  nev- 
ertheless, in  a  roundabout  way.  Gertrude,  horrified,  re- 
fused to  see  Justin  for  a  week,  and  finally  fled  to  Atlantic 
City.  He  followed  her,  and  when  she  saw  his  half-crazed 
appearance,  she  relented. 

"I  think,"  she  said,  "that  you  have  been  sufficiently 
punished." 


170  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

"I  think  so,"  he  said  humbly.  Then  with  flashing  eyes, 
he  added,  "Never  will  I  disappoint  you  again !  The  lesson 
has  cost  me  too  dear !" 

He  tried  to  atone  by  feverish  application  to  his  law 
practice,  and  he  stuck  to  his  resolution  to  work  sixteen 
hours  a  day,  although  this  often  kept  him  from  seeing  Ger- 
trude. But  despite  the  fearful  strain  of  the  work,  all  he 
told  Gertrude  was: 

"Somehow,  I  cannot  get  enough  sleep.  It  reminds  me 
of  my  growing  years  when  I  used  to  fairly  cry  when  morn- 
ing came  and  I  had  to  get  out  of  bed." 

Left  orphaned  when  a  child,  he  had  been  under  the  care 
of  a  severe  guardian,  who  believed  in  sternly  rearing  young 
people.  Justin  used  to  relate: 

"When  I  was  at  last  sent  away  from  home  to  boarding 
school,  it  merely  served  me  as  a  place  for  sleep.  I  used  to 
fairly  revel  in  the  chance  of  getting  up  late.  I  got  quite  a 
reputation  for  it.  And  even  to-day,  the  very  thought  of 
the  early  risings  to  which  I  was  subjected  when  'Guardy' 
had  me  in  tow  almost  tempts  me  to  drowse  off." 

He  saw  Lenny  the  day  the  latter  went  up  for  the  first 
of  his  examinations  for  promotion.  Lenny  was  in  need  of 
a  word  of  encouragement  from  someone  who  knew  of  his 
troubles,  and  before  whom  he  could  honestly  speak  his 
mind.  He  had  hidden  from  his  mother  the  fact  that  he 
was  going  up  to  the  examinations  in  a  hopeless  frame  of 
mind. 

"That's  what  hurts  worse  than  anything  else!"  he 
frankly  told  Justin.  "  Oh,  haven't  I  made  a  mess  of  every- 
thing!" 

"You'll  go  to  her  in  the  end;  so  it  will  be  all  right,"  said 
Justin  soothingly.  "When  I  was  in  trouble,  I  never  had 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  171 

any  mother  to  go  to,  you  know."  He  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders to  suppress  a  sigh. 

"Maybe  you  think  it  is  easy  to  bring  her  that  sort  of 
thing!"  Lenny  grieved. 

"There  you  go  again!"  scolded  Justin.  "Why,  none  of 
us  will  feel  any  differently  about  you  because  you  are  go- 
ing to  take  the  year  over  again.  Come!  Be  sensible!" 
He  put  his  hand  on  Lenny's  shoulder  and  smiled  at  him, 
although  his  weariness  made  it  an  effort  for  him  to  smile. 
The  next  moment  he  was  serious.  "I  want  you  to  promise 
me  something,"  he  said. 

"Certainly!"  Lenny  promptly  replied,  somewhat  sur- 
prised at  the  grave  tone  in  which  Justin  made  his  request. 

"That  you  will  not  go  into  politics  for  at  least  five  years 
after  you  have  graduated,"  said  Justin.  "In  other  words, 
not  until  you  have  had  a  chance  to  get  a  grip  on  yourself." 

"There  is  only  one  thing  I  want  to  do  badly,"  Lenny 
returned.  "I  want  to  be  as  successful  in  law  at  your  age 
as  you  have  been.  The  rest  can  wait."  And  he  wondered 
why  Justin  turned  away  wearily.  "I'm  off  to  those  exams 
now.  Don't  wish  me  luck.  Luck  won't  answer  the  ques- 
tions I'll  get." 

"Next  year  you  won't  be  sorry  about  going  up  for  the 
test,"  said  Justin,  pressing  his  hand  warmly. 

Day  after  day  Lenny  took  his  place  among  his  class- 
mates and  made  feeble  attempts  to  answer  the  questions. 
He  had  no  need  of  confessing  his  failure  to  his  mother. 
She  saw  it  in  his  silence,  his  abstracted,  worried  air,  and 
his  guilty  glance  when  he  caught  her  eye. 

On  the  last  day  he  came  to  her  and  put  his  arms  about 
her.  As  she  looked  at  the  dull  eyes  and  the  pale  face  of 
the  boy  upon  whom  her  whole  life  was  centred,  she  said 
quickly ; 


170  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"I  know !  Doesn't  it  all  show  that  you  made  a  mistake 
to  hurry  as  you  did  ?  What  need  was  there  of  it,  Leonard  ? 
And  the  result  has  been,  not  a  real  test  of  your  ability,  but 
an  amount  of  endless  worry  I  should  not  have  allowed!" 

"Then  you  do  not  believe  me  a  miserable  shirker?"  he 
cried.  "You  do  not  believe  that  I  am  only  good  for  the 
scrap  heap?" 

"What  strange  things  you  say!"  his  mother  exclaimed. 
"You  have  simply  not  given  yourself  any  chance  at  all.  I 
should  have  insisted  on  an  additional  year  of  tutoring. 
Then  you  could  have  entered  a  lawyer's  office  for  a  year, 
so  as  to  get  accustomed  to  law  books  and  the  profession 
itself.  There  was  time  for  college.  And  I  should  have 
opposed  your  using  your  summers  for  the  league !" 

"I'm  afraid  you  will  always  try  to  spoil  me  by  coddling," 
said  Lenny. 

"A  little  of  it  doesn't  harm  when  we  are  about  to  put 
all  our  energy  to  the  test.  Encouragement  is  a  sort  of 
breathing  spell." 

"Oh,  I  want  no  more  breathing  spells !"  cried  Lenny,  be- 
ginning to  pace  the  floor.  "I  simply  won't  let  myself  be 
spoiled!  It's  my  last  'flunk.'  I'll  take  the  year  over 
again ;  but  I'll  squeeze  out  of  it  every  bit  in  it !  Dear 
mamsy,  it's  been  very  hard  not  to  pass  up  with  the  other 
fellows  in  the  course." 

"There  isn't  time  to  talk  about  that  now!"  she  said. 
"We  have  got  to  prepare  to  enjoy  our  summer.  And  you 
have  visits  to  pay,  you  know,  after  the  way  you  have  neg- 
lected people." 

"Mother,  there  isn't  anybody  like  you  in  the  whole 
world!"  Lenny  cried. 

But  he  deferred  the  visit  his  mother  expected  him  to  pay 
to  Gertrude  Breen's  home.  He  could  not  face  Conny  with 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  173 

the  story  of  his  year's  failure.  He  preferred  that  this 
should  get  to  her  some  other  way.  So  instead  of  going,  he 
prepared  to  write. 

Planting  his  feet  on  the  window-sill,  and  lighting  a  cig- 
arette, he  began  his  letter.  It  was  in  a  whimsical  vein, 
very  much  as  she  might  have  written  it  herself ;  and  Lenny 
laughed,  and  labored  at  his  whim  until  it  covered  several 
pages. 

Then  he  stopped,  caught  by  a  fit  of  moodiness.  He  was 
too  fagged  to  light  another  cigarette.  As  he  stared  out  of 
the  window,  he  wondered  how  kind  the  future  would  be  to 
him. 

"It  is  true  that  I  am  a  boy,"  he  reflected.  "But  I  want 
all  the  things  that  a  man  wants — place,  fame,  recognition 
— everything !  How  hard  will  I  have  to  fight  ?  Because  I 
must  not  be  beaten !  For  mamsy's  sake — and  Conny's,  too 
— and  all  my  friends  !" 

He  glanced  down  at  the  words  he  had  written.  They 
seemed  empty,  even  silly;  and  he  wondered  how  he  had 
come  to  laugh  at  them.  He  thought  of  many  things  as  he 
idly  watched  the  landscape. 

"I  haven't  failed  because  of  the  amount  of  work  I  had 
to  do!"  he  exclaimed.  "I  simply  haven't  worked !  What's 
the  use  of  faking?  I  can't  fool  myself!  I  haven't  got 
the  will  power  to  stick  out  any  hard  job !  It  has  got  to 
stop!"  Then  he  asked,  "But  what  could  have  broken  me 
down?" 

A  moment  later  he  sat  back  stiffly  in  his  chair.  There 
had  arisen  in  his  mind  the  robust  figure  of  Maur,  healthy, 
vigorous,  almost  unbeatable.  Lenny  had  made  a  fleeting 
comparison  between  that  powerful  figure  and  his  own. 
Tears  of  intense  dissatisfaction  sprang  to  his  eyes.  Then 
he  started,  conscious  of  the  gaze  of  some  one. 


174:  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

Although  he  kept  himself  under  control  as  he  turned, 
his  nerves  almost  shrieked.  His  mother  laid  her  hand  on 
his  arm. 

"You — are  not  thinking  about  anything  except  your  big 
plans  for  the  future — surely?"  she  said  in  an  insistent 
voice. 

He  mastered  his  depression  at  once,  and  cried,  "Oh,  no !" 
Then  he  pulled  up  a  chair  for  her.  "This  smoke  doesn't 
bother  you,  does  it?"  he  asked.  "There  isn't  much  of  it, 
to  be  sure."  As  he  talked,  he  kept  patting  her  hand.  "I 
always  want  to  plan.  But  it  is  about  time  I  resigned  that 
and  got  to  doing  things.  If  I  could  only  win  my  first 
case!  It  might  be  the  smallest  affair  in  the  world,  but  I 
would  feel  like  Alexander  the  Great!" 

His  mother  spoke  of  the  better  English  he  now  used. 
He  was  pleased  that  she  noticed  it. 

"My  law  work  was  responsible  for  that,  I  guess,"  he 
said.  "It's  nothing  to  boast  of.  You  know  I've  had  bet- 
ter opportunities  than  most  fellows,  mother !  I've  done 
nothing  but  gotten  spoiled,  instead  of  making  use  of  my 
chances." 

"You're  quite  too  sensitive  to  be  spoiled,"  she  answered. 
"I've  always  been  afraid  of  just  the  opposite.  It  is  like 
all  my  foolish  fears,  I  suppose.  You  remember,  I  believed 
you  might  learn  to  smoke  to  excess."  Lenny  sat  very  rigid. 
"But  you  have  not  become  a  slave  to  the  habit.  A  mother 
is  a  strange  being !" 

"What  a  wise  mamsy  I  have!"  he  said,  in  lieu  of  any- 
thing else. 

"Then  let  me  tell  you  the  plan  I  have  formed  for  our 
vacation.  Gertrude  Breen  has  asked  me  to  chaperon  her 
this  summer,  since  Mr.  Mahan  intends  to  run  down  to  the 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  175 

shore  to  see  her.  I  intend  to  get  a  big  cottage,  and  we  will 
divide  the  rooms " 

"Too  bad!  I  forgot  to  tell  you  something, — I  was  so 
upset  about  the  exams!"  Lenny  broke  in.  "A  couple  of 
classmates  of  mine  intend  to  take  a  motor  boat  to  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  to  camp  there.  They've  invited 
me  to  make  one  of  the  party.  I  said  I  would  go.  Of 
course,  I'll  tell  them  now  I  can't.  They  were  the  only 
fellows  I  cared  to  chum  with,  what  little  chumming  I  had 
time  for.  They'll  get  somebody  else." 

"Oh,  but  you're  to  go  with  them!"  cried  his  mother. 
"Don't  you  see  that  I  will  have  Gertrude  and  Conny  with 
me?  You  will  spoil  my  summer  by  refusing  this  chance 
to  live  out  in  the  open  !  Why,  it  is  glorious !" 

"As  if  you  aren't  sorry  to  have  me  do  it — to  get  so  far 
away  from  you !"  said  Lenny. 

His  mother  drew  a  long  breath — then  smiled. 

"I  must  get  accustomed  to  your  being  grown  up,"  she 
told  him.  "You  must  begin  to  plan  for  yourself.  And 
you  can't  be  very  satisfied  with  women  chattering  near  you 
all  the  time.  I'm  glad,  very,  that  you  are  going!  How 
happy  you  look !  You  did  want  to  go !" 

"That  wasn't  it."  said  Lenny.  "I  have  a  big  secret  to 
tell  you.  Suppose  I  keep  it  quiet  for  a  day." 

She  agreed.  They  sat  there  for  some  time,  joking  like 
two  old  friends,  Lenny  still  holding  back  the  mysterious 
"something"  of  which  he  had  hinted.  When  his  mother 
left  him,  there  was  laughter  on  his  lips. 

"Oh,  I  shall  get  a  hold  on  myself  this  summer!"  he  sud- 
denly cried,  rising,  and  extending  his  arms.  "I'm  going 
to  put  up  the  biggest  sort  of  a  fight ! — for  her  sake !  What 
if  I  have  lost  a  year?  There  won't  be  any  quit  now!  Or 
tiredness,  either !" 


176  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

He  shook  off  his  indolence  and  his  apologetic  air.  He 
was  soon  living  in  an  atmosphere  of  ambition  again.  Fight- 
ing off  every  return  of  depression,  he  plunged  busily  into 
the  preparation  for  his  summer  outing. 

In  this  mood  he  did  not  need  much  spurring  to  visit 
Conny  and  her  uncle.  When  he  came  up  the  walk,  Conny 
was  looking  over  her  rose-bushes. 

"Ah,  how  dy  do,  Mr.  Craigie?"  she  said  with  a  little 
bow. 

"I  don't  think  I  quite  know  this  minute,"  he  returned 
with  a  smile,  holding  out  his  hand. 

But  Conny  was  inexorable. 

"Taking  a  stroll  through  the  country?"  she  continued, 
coolly.  "Fine  day,  isn't  it?" 

Too  taken  aback  to  answer  in  kind,  Lenny  could  only 
say: 

"That's  a  nice  way  to  receive  a  fellow  when  he  has  found 
time  for  a  visit !" 

"Oh,  is  it  a  visit?"  said  Conny.  "And  you've  sent  no 
card?" 

"Quit  it!"  Lenny  cried.     "You  know  I  couldn't  come!" 

"Yes,  so  you've  kept  reminding  me  every  now  and  then — 
about  six  times  in  four  months.  But  here  comes  uncle !" 

Trevor,  brighter,  but  with  his  shoulders  very  stooped, 
came  hurrying  toward  Lenny,  with  both  his  hands  ex- 
tended. There  was  a  glad  light  in  Conny's  eyes  when  she 
eaw  how  warmly  Lenny  responded  to  the  greeting. 

"I've  just  been  trying  to  tell  your  niece  that  I've  been 
a  home  body,"  said  Leonard. 

"But  ^home-keeping  youth  have  ever  homely  wits'," 
Trevor  quoted. 

"I  felt  that  way  when  I  framed  up  the  excuse;  and 
Conny  helped  along  the  feeling,"  said  the  offender. 


THE  TYRANT  IN"  WHITE  177 

"Which  reminds  me  that,  although  I'm  going,  1  needn't 
frame  up  any  excuse  for  it,"  said  Conny.  "I've  got  an 
appointment.  See  you  again,  Mr.  Craigie." 

And  with  a  nod,  she  hurried  away,  while  Lenny  looked 
angrily  after  her.  The  next  moment  he  was  pleading : 

"Now,  Mr.  Trevor,  is  that  fair?  No  one  can  know  the 
uphill  time  I've  had  this  year !  I  stayed  away  because  I 
didn't  want  to  speak  of  it,  and  you  make  a  fellow  open 
right  up !  I  want  to  bring  my  friends  my  successes,  not 
my  failures." 

"Tut!  tut!  Youth  to  speak  of  failure!"  cried  Trevor. 
"What  nonsense!  A  little  set-back,  I  imagine.  Why  call 
it  anything  else?  Mr.  Mahan,  I  hear,  has  looked  with  dis- 
favor on  your  hurrying  into  law  without  taking  a  college 
course  of  a  general  character  first.  You  see,  we  are  think- 
ing of  you  all  the  time.  So  you  owe  it  to  Conny,  at  least, 
to  bring  her  all  your  news,  good,  bad  and  indifferent !  And 
to  come  often.  But  your  thoughts  seem  to  be  turned  in- 
wards— always!  They  must  be,  or  they  would  have  no- 
ticed a  very  decided  fact." 

Lenny  shook  his  head,  at  a  loss  to  know  what  he  meant. 

"What  a  preoccupied  young  man!"  said  Trevor. 
"  'None  is  so  blind  as  he  who  will  not  see !'  And  thus  you 
have  missed  the  chance  of  making  yourself  useful.  My 
dear  friend,  do  you  know  that  Constance  is  growing  more 
beautiful  every  day?" 

"Certainly !"  said  Lenny.  "I  have  seen  that  for  a  dozen 
years.  In  fact,  she  has  made  a  habit  of  growing  beau- 
tiful!" 

"Ah,  but  you  must  tell  her  so!"  cried  Trevor.  "Do  not 
take  it  so  much  for  granted.  Tell  her  she  is  beautiful! 
Don't  look  at  her  as  if  she  were  an  unchangeable  bit  of 
bric-a-brac  you  had  seen  again  and  again !" 


178  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"Great  Caesar's  ghost!"  gasped  Lenny.  "Why  should  I 
tell  her  that  she  is  fine  ?  She  won't  stand  for  that  sort  of 
thing  from  me!" 

"How  do  you  know?"  asked  Trevor  promptly.  "Ah, 
you  don't  seem  to  catch  just  what  I  mean " 

"Oh,  yes,  I  do!"  Lenny  said.  "But  she  won't  stand  it 
from  me.  She'll  laugh  at  me." 

"Her  laugh  won't  be  what  you  expect — hecause  she 
thinks  highly  of  you,"  said  her  uncle. 

"But  Conny  knows  what  I  think  of  her.  And  if  I  spoke 
in  any  flattering  way,  it  mightn't  leave  us  the  sort  of 
friends  we've  always  been,"  Lenny  argued.  "We're  just 
the  same  two  kids  we  were  ten  years  ago ;  and  we'll  always 
keep  that  way." 

Nevertheless,  Trevor's  words  were  not  thrown  away  upon 
him.  He  began  to  see  Conny  in  a  somewhat  different  light 
— not  the  slip  of  a  girl  whom  he  used  to  banter,  or  with 
whom  he  might  while  away  an  hour  in  talk ;  but  a  growing 
young  woman,  of  considerable  importance  to  a  great  many 
people.  And  during  his  visits  prior  to  his  departure  for 
the  camping  trip,  he  found  that  Conny's  band  of  admirers 
had  been  on  the  increase.  The  additions  were  men  of  al- 
most Justin's  age.  Their  constant  "Miss  Trevor"  bewil- 
dered him. 

"Why,  one  of  them  might  marry  her  before  we  least  ex- 
pected it !"  he  exclaimed  one  day  to  himself. 

During  his  remaining  visits,  in  his  anxiety  to  see  what 
impression  these  admirers  were  making  upon  Conny,  he 
misread  a  good  deal  of  her  interest  in  them.  He  also 
missed  the  fact  that  she  was  making  a  great  deal  of  him 
before  the  others,  and  that  they  were  jealous. 

Finally  he  blurted  out  one  day : 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  179 

"Conny,  dear,  you  won't  marry  before  I  come  back,  will 
you?" 

She  first  stared  at  him,  and  then  exploded  with  laughter. 

"Ah,"  he  said,  "that's  good!  Go  ahead!  Keep  on 
laughing!  It  removes  all  my  doubts!" 

"I  may  disappoint  you  yet,"  she  replied,  smiling  now. 

Lenny  was  surprised  to  find  himself  thrilled  by  a  sudden 
shy  look  she  darted  at  him. 

"You  would  only  be  squaring  up  for  the  way  I've  dis- 
appointed you,  I  guess,"  he  said. 

"Silly!"  she  cried,  and  pinned  a  flower  to  the  lapel  of 
his  coat  with  an  elaborate  ado. 

"Now  that  you've  been  that  nice,  I've  got  something  to 
tell  you,"  he  began.  He  was  surprised  to  see  Conny  step 
back  a  little.  "I'm  going  to  write  a  book,"  he  said.  "It 
is  to  be  about  brave  deeds  of  American  soldiers  and  sailors. 
If  I  wasn't  going  to  dedicate  it  to  mother  (which  I  will, 
of  course),  I  would  have  dedicated  it  to  you." 

"Thanks,"  she  said,  simply,  holding  out  her  hand.  "The 
first  chapter  in  that  book  will  be  about  your  father.  I 
know!  What  does  your  mother  say?" 

"She  doesn't  know  it  yet,"  said  Lenny. 

He  had  intended  that  she  should  be  the  first  to  know. 
Now  he  hastened  to  tell  her.  As  he  unfolded  the  scheme 
of  the  book  to  her,  she  listened  gravely,  pleased  with  the 
care  with  which  he  was  planning  this  newest  venture  of  his. 

"It  came  to  me,"  he  said,  "when  I  saw  that  I  couldn't 
be  of  much  use  to  the  baseball  league  this  summer.  Not 
that  I  won't  be  ready  to  jump  right  in  if  things  go  wrong 
with  the  boys !  But  I  began  to  feel  that  I  wasn't  serving 
a  big  purpose  any  more.  So  I  got  the  idea  of  gathering 
together  these  brave  exploits.  The  important  thing  was 
to  know  where  to  go  for  my  information.  Well,  I've  got 


180  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

a  fine  list  of  books  and  magazines.  There's  one  act, 
though,  I  won't  need  any  information  about!" 

"It  will  be  the  sort  of  book  that  will  do  us  all  good!" 
said  his  mother.  "You  will  find  that  many  men  have  per- 
formed deeds  as  brave  as  your  father's " 

"As  brave!"  exclaimed  Lenny  in  wonder. 

"Why,  yes.  There  were  many  other  brave  exploits  to 
make  one  tremble  with  pride  for  the  brave  men  who  did 
them  I"  said  his  mother. 

"Oh,  I  can  be  fair,  too!"  Lenny  told  her.  "But  to  me 
what  he  did  overtops  them  all!  Think  of  crawling  into 
that  place !" 

"When  has  a  day  passed  that  I  did  not  think  of  it?" 
said  his  mother,  with  a  faraway  look  in  her  eyes.  After 
a  little  while  she  suddenly  said,  "You  would  have  done  the 
same  thing." 

He  sought  to  imagine  himself  in  precisely  the  position 
his  father  occupied  on  that  memorable  day.  Then  he  said 
earnestly : 

"Yes,  I  would  have  climbed  through  the  scuttle." 

They  kept  talking  about  the  projected  book  up  to  the 
day  of  his  going.  The  excitement  of  the  camping  trip 
robbed  him  of  his  listless  air,  and  gave  a  touch  of 
color  to  his  face.  When  he  went  to  say  good-by  to  Trevor 
and  Conny,  his  smile  evoked  from  the  latter : 

"Look  at  that  grin,  would  you!  You  must  be  awfully 
glad  to  go  away  from  folks  you  know,  Leonard  Craigie !" 

"Guess  again,"  said  Lenny.  He  told  her,  "You're  per- 
fectly dazzling  to-day,  miss.  Who  has  been  talking  to 
you?" 

"Now  you're  silly!"  she  retorted,  coloring. 

"I  wouldn't  be  hung  for  lying,  I  guess,"  he  persisted, 

Conny  eyed  him  in  wonder.    "You've  become  a  plain 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  181 

goose — just  because  you're  going  to  get  a  long  holiday !" 
she  said. 

The  actor  greeted  him  with  the  exclamation : 

"How  like  a  chameleon  you  are!  You  are  never  twice 
the  same !  Ah,  you  young  people !  We  old  ones  change, 
too;  but  ours  is  no  tramp  uphill  and  downhill.  It  is  all 
downhill!" 

His  remark  dealt  with  himself.  He  had  been  growing 
more  lank,  his  gaunt  features  were  dreamier  than  ever,  and 
his  manner  was  of  one  who  was  fighting  great  inner  bat- 
tles. He  was  pleased  when  Lenny  paid  him  a  compliment 
by  saying : 

"I  always  find  the  youngest  people  I  know  right  here  in 
this  room !" 

"Yes,  isn't  uncle  looking  actually  boyish?"  cried  Conny. 

"Ah,  Constance  and  I  have  promised  each  other  to  keep 
young  for  all  time!"  said  Trevor.  "Why  should  one  bend 
before  the  advancing  years  ?  It  is  as  unwise  as  when  youth 
tries  to  assume  the  habits  of  age.  Which  reminds  me  that 
our  friend  Eobert  Maur  is  creating  a  stir  over  in  New 
York.  They  are  calling  him  'The  Young  Phenom.'  A 
mere  boy,  too!  I  wonder  if  the  newspaper  notices  he  is 
receiving  are  spoiling  him  ?" 

"Well,  we  will  leave  it  to  Conny  to  take  a  fall  out  of 
him  if  they  are,"  said  Lenny,  looking  mischievously  at  her 
out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye.  "She  humbles  us  all,  when 
necessary.  Even  me." 

He  was  solemn  about  it  until  he  saw  how  seriously  she 
took  his  words.  Then  he  broke  out  into  laughter.  It  was 
full  of  abandon  and  forgetfulness.  Lenny  seemed  to  throw 
all  worry  overboard.  Both  his  hearers  were  to  remember 
that  laughter  as  long  as  they  lived. 

He  caught  at  Conny's  hands,  and  swung  her  about. 


183  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

After  a  few  turns  she  was  swinging  him.  When  she 
paused,  he  went  down  to  the  floor  in  a  heap,  his  face 
ashen. 

He  tried  to  smile  when  they  helped  him  to  his  feet. 

"My  head  will  catch  up  with  my  toes  pretty  soon,"  he 
said.  "Queer  how  that  upset  me !" 

In  the  Pullman  car  that  night,  as  he  traveled  toward 
Buffalo,  where  he  was  to  join  the  campers,  his  thoughts 
divided  themselves  between  his  mother  and  Conny.  In 
musing  about  the  latter,  he  dwelt  on  the  way  she  had  clung 
to  hia  hand  when  he  had  told  her  about  his  failure  at  the 
examinations.  With  equal  tact  she  had  kept  silent  about 
the  baseball  league,  fully  aware  how  he  felt  about  being 
away  from  it  for  a  whole  summer. 

The  rocking  Pullman  berth  soon  made  him  drowsy.  But 
before  sleep  came,  he  murmured : 

"She's  splendid!  Nothing  like  her!  She's  worth  doing 
things  for!" 

To  his  sleepy  brain  this  meant  both  his  mother  and 
Conny. 


CHAPTEE  XI 

LENNY'S  camping  trip  was  hardly  to  prove  the  invigorat- 
ing rest  to  which  he  had  looked  forward.  His  two  com- 
panions, quiet  enough  when  at  college,  took  the  bit  into 
their  mouths,  and  turned  the  outing  into  a  period  of  reck- 
less dissipation.  At  first  Lenny  was  prone  to  be  backward 
about  this  new  way  of  living.  But  his  highly  nervous  state 
and  his  depression  soon  drove  him  to  follow  the  example 
of  the  others.  During  the  moments  when  he  would  rebel 
against  this,  he  felt  that  if  he  had  been  in  better  physical 
condition,  he  might  have  resisted  the  temptation  to  live 
wildly  and  unreasonably. 

The  motor  boat  took  the  party  of  three  and  their  helper 
to  Canadian  towns.  But  for  the  helper  (a  quiet,  muscular 
man  who  could  cook  and  make  up  a  bed,  and  who  soon 
learned  to  run  the  boat),  the  three  might  have  gone  to  the 
bottom  of  the  St.  Lawrence  on  more  than  one  occasion. 
Staggering  into  the  boat  in  the  last  stages  of  drunkenness, 
they  would  insist  on  steering,  sending  the  launch  at  top 
speed  down  the  river. 

John  McCormick,  the  servant,  was  forced  to  take  the 
law  into  his  own  hands  when  this  happened,  despite  his 
youthful  employers.  During  every  drunken  period  they 
discharged  him.  But  he  would  land  them  safely  and  finish 
out  the  evening,  certain  that  on  next  morning  they  would 
thank  him  for  getting  them  alive  to  their  tenting  place, 
188 


184  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

In  one  instance,  as  he  forcibly  took  the  steering  wheel 
from  one  of  them  when  they  had  piled  into  the  boat  in  a 
drunken  condition,  he  received  a  blow  in  the  face.  The 
aggressor  found  himself  measuring  his  length  on  the  bot- 
tom of  the  boat  under  the  impact  of  a  bony  fist.  In  the 
squabble  which  followed,  Lenny,  although  tipsy,  took  Mc- 
Cormick's  part.  His  two  companions  resented  this,  and 
attacked  him.  In  the  melee,  the  three  young  fellows  went 
overboard,  almost  overturning  the  boat  as  they  did  so. 
Only  McCormick's  coolness  saved  the  launch.  As  they 
went  over  the  side,  he  flung  himself  in  the  other  direction, 
and  so  balanced  the  vessel.  His  whole  thought  at  that  mo- 
ment was  to  save  it,  in  order  to  have  some  place  from 
which  to  pull  the  boys  out  of  the  water. 

The  next  moment  he  realized  that  they  were  in  a  perilous 
state  indeed.  Only  Lenny  came  to  the  surface  near  the 
boat.  The  other  two,  some  distance  away,  were  trying,  in 
a  half-drunken  manner,  to  keep  their  heads  above  water. 
There  was  enough  moonlight  to  guide  McCormick,  but  it 
was  dangerous  to  maneuver  the  rather  large  boat  among 
the  struggling  boys. 

He  threw  a  rope  to  Lenny,  who,  somewhat  sobered  now, 
clambered  on  board.  As  soon  as  that  boy  could  catch  his 
breath,  he  cried: 

"You  take  Wells,  and  I'll  go  after  Grosse!" 

And  he  dived  back  into  the  water,  followed  by  McCor- 
mick. The  latter,  powerful  though  he  was,  found  himself 
almost  overpowered  by  the  frantic  Wells,  and  it  was  some 
time  before  he  managed  to  get  him  into  the  boat.  When 
he  turned  to  see  what  had  become  of  young  Craigie,  he 
immediately  plunged  back  into  the  water. 

Lenny  had  seized  Grosse  just  as  that  man  was  going 
down  for  the  last  time,  and  had  struggled  towards  the  rope 


THE  TYEANT  IN"  WHITE  185 

dangling  from  the  boat.  But  the  man  he  held,  who  had 
imbibed  more  than  the  others  that  evening,  instead  of  help- 
ing him,  tried  to  throw  him  off.  Lenny  did  not  let  go  and 
yelled  words  of  advice,  only  to  find  that  he  was  gradually 
being  pulled  under  water. 

There  was-  a  moment  when  he  was  tempted  to  release  his 
hold,  in  order  not  to  go  down  with  the  half-crazed  man. 
But  he  did  not,  and  fought  on,  although  weariness  was 
numbing  him.  Gathering  together  all  the  nervous  force 
which  had  so  far  sustained  him,  he  made  a  desperate  lunge 
for  the  rope.  He  caught  it,  and  then  tried  to  cling  to  it, 
the  while  sobbing  in  his  despair  of  continuing  the  hold, 
although  he  was  gritting  his  teeth  at  the  same  time. 

He  held  to  the  rope  until  it  slipped  out  of  his  powerless 
hand.  As  he  feebly  struck  out  in  an  effort  to  keep  the 
water  from  dragging  him  down  to  death,  he  was  seized  in 
a  powerful  grip.  By  a  wonderful  display  of  strength,  Mc- 
Cormick  managed  to  get  the  two  on  board  the  boat. 

"Pretty  good  for  one  night's  work,"  he  remarked  with 
a  shrug  as  he  surveyed  the  three  students  lying  at  his  feet. 
Then  he  discovered  that  Lenny  had  fainted,  and  set  to 
work  to  revive  him. 

The  latter  asked,  as  soon  as  he  recovered  consciousness: 

"Did  I  let  go  of  him?" 

"No.     You  held  on,"  McCormick  replied. 

"Well,  that  was  the  hardest  half-hour  of  my  life!"  said 
Lenny  with  a  sigh. 

"It  wasn't  more  than  four  or  five  minutes,"  McCormick 
told  him.  But  at  the  same  time  he  put  out  his  hand  and 
took  Lenny's,  which  he  shook  warmly,  without  a  word. 

While  Lenny's  companions  got  over  the  accident  without 
showing  any  ill-effects,  he  needed  two  days  to  recover  from 
the  nervous  shock.  During  that  time  he  told  them  bluntly 


186  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

that  he  was  going  to  cut  down  the  amount  of  drinking  he 
did.  They  were  too  conscious  of  what  they  owed  him  to 
sneer  at  this.  So  they  left  him  to  his  cigarettes,  while 
they  continued  their  roystering  excursions. 

The  monotonous  life  Lenny  now  led  soon  proved  too  tax- 
ing for  him,  however.  He  tried  canoeing.  As  a  result,  in 
a  month  his  old-time  vigor  and  ambition  showed  them- 
selves again.  He  would  glide  away  to  some  quiet,  isolated 
spot,  and  would  then  either  fish  or  jot  down  notes  for  his 
intended  book.  But  his  loneliness  grew  unbearable.  So 
he  slipped  back  into  the  visits  to  town  with  his  companions, 
although  his  excesses  never  reached  the  stage  of  complete 
drunkenness  now. 

Before  summer  waa  over,  the  three  students  began  to 
quarrel,  and  finally  separated.  Lenny,  rather  than  give 
his  mother  the  impression  that  the  camping  had  been  a 
failure,  went  on  an  extended  canoeing  trip.  He  managed 
to  get  through  a  part  of  August  without  giving  in  to  the 
wish  to  join  her.  At  last  he  hastily  packed  his  belongings, 
and  set  out  for  home.  Instead,  however,  of  going  to  the 
resort  where  his  mother  was  staying,  he  headed  for  Ger- 
mantown. 

As  he  walked  to  the  field  where  two  of  the  major  clubs 
of  the  league  were  in  the  midst  of  a  stirring  contest,  he 
changed  his  mind  about  showing  himself  openly,  and 
slipped  to  the  rear  of  the  crowd. 

"Ah,"  he  murmured,  while  watching  the  excited  crowd, 
and  the  sharp  struggle  for  victory,  "this  is  home!  These 
are  my  friends!" 

Then  he  felt  a  little  depressed,  and  stole  home,  where  he 
sought  his  room,  and  dropped  into  his  favorite  chair  be- 
fore one  of  the  windows. 

"What  a  rotten  summer  I've  made  of  it!"  he  growled,  as 


THE  TYKANT  IK  WHITE  187 

he  tapped  a  cigarette  on  the  arm  of  his  chair,  preparatory 
to  lighting  it. 

That  evening  he  joined  his  mother.  Only  the  tan  which 
he  had  accumulated  kept  the  pallor  of  his  face  from  show- 
ing. And  from  the  moment  he  saw  his  mother,  until  they 
were  ready  to  return  to  Germantown,  he  pretended  a  buoy- 
ancy of  spirit  which  completely  deceived  her.  When  he 
was  with  others  his  unrest  cropped  out,  so  he  spent  most  of 
his  time  alone. 

"A  fine  year  of  law,  and  the  writing  of  that  book !  That's 
what  I  am  going  to  do !"  he  declared  to  his  mother. 

Deep  down  in  his  heart  he  felt  that  the  coming  period 
of  study  would  be  a  trying  one,  despite  his  familiarity  with 
the  subjects.  As  the  weeks  wore  on,  he  grew  less  inclined 
to  forgive  the  use  he  had  made  of  his  summer,  and  was 
disgusted  with  his  two  camping  companions. 

They,  for  their  part,  spoke  of  him  as  the  greatest  "cigar- 
ette fiend"  they  had  e^er  met. 

"He's  a  fine  chap,  and  a  brave  one,  and  all  that,"  was 
their  verdict.  "But  he's  'dopey'  on  cigarettes.  He'd  rather 
smoke  than  eat.  That's  what's  knocked  him  out.  And  he 
hasn't  tumbled  to  it." 

Lenny  started  the  work  of  the  first  term  briskly.  Later 
he  was  too  indisposed  to  attend  lectures,  and  spent  his 
time  in  the  college  club-house  playing  billiards,  and  laying 
bets  on  the  result  of  the  games.  At  times,  for  no  reason 
that  he  would  have  been  able  to  give,  he  felt  that  he  would, 
after  all,  finish  the  year  in  good  style. 

This  self-delusion  came  at  longer  and  longer  intervals; 
for  the  more  he  got  behind  in  his  work,  the  less  inclined  he 
was  to  catch  up.  At  home  he  kept  up  his  show  of  cheer- 
fulness, a  smiling  exterior  covering  a  very  distressed  state 


188  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

of  mind.  He  put  aside  the  thought  of  seeking  Justin 
again  for  help  in  his  studies. 

"I've  troubled  him  enough  already,"  he  reflected.  "And 
he  would  think  it  mighty  queer  that  I  couldn't  keep  up 
with  things  after  flunking  a  year.  He  doesn't  look  awfully 
happy  himself,  either." 

He  did  not  go  to  see  Conny,  and  letters  ceased  to  pass 
between  them.  When  she  came  over  to  take  dinner  with 
his  mother,  he  would  either  treat  her  with  indifference,  or 
tease  her  unmercifully.  Even  the  fact  that  the  club-house 
of  the  league  was  actually  being  erected  failed  to  rouse  him. 

But  after  this  period  of  ebb  came  one  of  flow.  He  be- 
gan to  fight  against  the  prospect  of  going  down  in  defeat 
again  at  the  law  school.  Fortifying  himself  with  strong 
coffee,  he  managed  to  keep  awake  at  nights  to  do  his  law 
reading.  His  Christmas  holidays  were  sacrificed  to  this 
spirit  of  work.  When  his  mother  remonstrated  with  him 
at  his  late  hours  under  a  lamp,  he  gently,  but  firmly,  asked 
to  be  left  alone. 

"This  first  year  will  make  or  mar  my  course  at  college," 
he  said.  "Won't  I  have  next  summer  to  idle  in?" 

His  application  continued,  although  his  waning  strength 
was  crying  for  a  halt.  Fatigue  not  only  wore  him  out,  but 
it  left  his  mind  foggy.  He  plodded  on,  however,  and  was 
bitter  against  the  use  he  had  made  of  the  first  term.  With 
the  approach  of  the  examination  period,  his  sleep  became 
a  series  of  nightmares,  when  he  was  haunted  by  visions  of 
failure. 

But  with  the  arrival  of  the  time  of  the  test,  he  got  a 
measure  of  confidence  in  himself.  He  attacked  the  exami- 
nation papers  without  the  uncertainty  he  had  feared.  In- 
stead of  going  down  in  ignominious  failure,  he  passed  with 
credit.  The  task,  however,  had  been  too  great.  When  he 


THE  TYKANT  IN"  WHITE  189 

came  home  to  announce  that  "he  was  through  with  the  first 
year  at  last !"  his  haggard  appearance  almost  belied  the 
victory. 

It  was  then  that  his  mother  decided  to  bring  this  nerve- 
racking  state  of  affairs  to  an  end. 

"Leonard,  you  are  done  with  college !"  she  declared.  "It 
is  time  we  stopped  acting  like  mad  people !  I  don't  believe 
in  sacrificing  you  to  your  ambitions!  You  are  going  to 
enter  a  lawyer's  office,  and  to  acquire  your  law  in  a  more 
leisurely  way.  The  thought  of  your  passing  through  a 
mental  crisis  at  the  end  of  every  college  year  is  becoming 
frightful  to  me!" 

Instead  of  the  opposition  she  expected,  especially  after 
his  success,  Lenny  said: 

"Yes,  I'll  enter  a  lawyer's  office.  You're  right.  You 
always  are.  Lumped  up  examinations  at  the  end  of  a  year 
are  bound  to  be  a  strain.  I  dreamed  about  them  every 
night.  They  almost  drove  me  crazy !"  He  laughed  a  lit- 
tle in  sheer  relief  at  being  able  to  speak  about  it.  He  was 
serious  as  he  went  on:  "I  had  begun  to  regard  the  end  of 
the  year  with  dread.  It  was  terrible !  It  made  a  coward 
of  me !" 

He  struggled  with  his  tears  when  his  mother  put  her 
arms  about  him. 

"I  know  you  won't  let  me  tell  you  that  I  have  disap- 
pointed you,"  he  said.  "But  perhaps  I  haven't  wasted 
much  time,  after  all.  Those  months  at  college  haven't 
been  thrown  away." 

"Every  day  must  have  brought  you  something  of  value," 
she  replied.  "No,  we  won't  speak  of  time  wasted !  I  wish 
you  had  suggested  long  ago  that  you  wished  to  enter  a 
lawyer's  office  to  get  your  theory  and  practice." 

"Oh,  I  have  often  thought  of  it!"  said  Lenny.     "But 


190  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

there  is  a  great  glamor  about  a  college  degree  and  college 
associations.  Well,  there  will  be  satisfaction,  instead,  in 
being  in  touch  with  men  who  are  doing  law  work  right  at 
one's  elbow !  Will  you  let  me  begin  right  away,  slowly  ? 
I'll  tell  you  if  it  proves  too  hard  during  these  warm  months. 
Honest !" 

"We  will  do  nothing  for  a  week  but  talk  about  your 
book,"  said  his  mother. 

He  gave  in  reluctantly.  As  they  settled  themselves  for 
a  chat  about  the  several  chapters  he  had  already  finished, 
the  physical  frailly  of  both  mother  and  son  would  have 
struck  a  beholder.  But  as  Lenny  talked,  his  excitement 
played  its  customary  part  in  giving  him  an  appearance  of 
energy,  and  it  actually  robbed  him  of  fatigue. 

The  novelty  of  the  change  he  was  about  to  make  gave 
him  a  new  lease  of  life.  He  also  felt  that  the  opportuni- 
ties for  idling  would  be  less,  and  a  great  burden  fell  from 
his  shoulders  because  of  the  fact. 

"Now  that  I  will  have  to  work  every  day,"  he  told  him- 
self, "I  won't  be  putting  all  my  strength  in  a  last  minute 
spurt." 

For  him  there  was  only  one  firm  which  he  cared  to  enter 
for  his  legal  apprenticeship — the  one  to  which  Justin 
Mahan  belonged.  That  Justin  might  dissuade  him  from 
entering  that  office  was  the  last  thing  he  expected  in  the 
world.  He  was,  therefore,  somewhat  stunned  when  hia 
proposition  found  the  older  -man  dubiously  shaking  hia 
head. 

"Don't  think  of  it,"  Justin  urged.  "I  may  as  well  tell 
you,  Leonard,  I'm  going  to  get  out  of  it  myself  very  soon. 
Everything  you  would  do  here  would  be  criticised  by  fault- 
finding superiors,  and  you'd  get  mental  ague  every  time 
you  submitted  anything  for  their  approval.  I  know  your 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  191 

mother  thinks  quite  highly  of  them.  But  she  can  do  better 
for  you  with  her  other  influential  lawyer  friends.  No, 
don't  come  here !" 

Justin's  advice  was  dictated  by  other  reasons  than  the 
wish  to  keep  Lenny  away  from  "fault-finding"  superiors. 
He  did  not  want  Lenny  to  find  out  how  he — the  Justin 
Mahan  of  great  expectations — had  fallen  short  in  his  law 
work. 

His  declaration  that  he  would  open  an  independent  of- 
fice aroused  Lenny  to  a  high  pitch  of  enthusiasm.  He  saw, 
more  surely  outlined  than  ever,  the  sign,  "Mahan  & 
Craigie,  Attorneys-at-Law." 

"I  should  think  you  would  be  jolly  glad  to  get  out  on 
your  own  hook !"  he  said. 

"Well,  it  wouldn't  be  as  good  as  being  a  member  of  this 
firm,  of  course,"  Justin  frankly  admitted.  "I  would  be 
virtually  starting  all  over  again.  But  since  my  services  are 
not  appreciated  here,  why  should  I  keep  in  a  stew  of  dis- 
satisfaction all  the  time?" 

And  he  held  out  his  cigarette-case,  with  the  words, 
"Here  is  the  great  soother  of  all  cares ! — the  magician  that 
takes  the  sting  out  of  dismal  days !" 

As  Lenny  was  going,  Justin  said : 

"Let  me  know  what  firm  you  decide  upon.  Your 
mother's  influence  ought  to  give  you  the  pick  of  the  best. 
Good  luck  to  you,  old  man  !" 

Lenny  stepped  jauntily  out  of  the  elevator  of  the  office 
building,  only  to  go  reeling  against  the  opposite  wall  in  a 
spell  of  dizziness  which  kept  the  ground  about  him  whirling 
for  some  moments.  When  he  staggered  out  into  the  street, 
he  was  thoroughly  frightened. 

"That's  a  new  one  on  me!"  he  gasped. 

He  was  alarmed.     "Can  that  be  the  result  of  last  sum- 


193  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

mer's  dissipation  ?"  he  wondered,  fearful  that  it  had  worked 
some  grave  harm. 

Slowly  making  his  way  through  the  busy  Philadelphia 
thoroughfare,  he  began  to  review  the  set-backs  ill-health 
had  brought  him.  He  finished  by  deciding  to  go  to  a  phy- 
sician, but  to  do  so  alone. 

"There's  no  use  in  frightening  mother,"  he  reasoned; 
"especially  if  there  is  really  nothing  the  matter  with  me 
worth  worrying  about." 

Picking  out  a  name  which  ranked  high  in  Philadelphia 
medicine,  he  found  enough  courage  to  take  his  seat  among 
a  roomful  of  patients.  He  glanced  about  furtively  to  dis- 
cover whether  he  had  stumbled  upon  any  of  his  mother's 
friends,  but  escaped  that  embarrassment. 

When  the  physician  finally  nodded  in  his  direction, 
Lenny  was  very  far  from  happy.  He  was  regretting  his 
visit.  NOT  was  the  physician's  professional  smile  very  re- 
assuring. But  Lenny  unhesitatingly  plunged  into  a  recital 
of  his  ailments.  He  was  surprised  at  the  length  of  time 
the  physician  took  to  look  him  over. 

"One  would  think  I  was  a  prize-fighter,"  Lenny  re- 
marked to  himself. 

At  last  the  doctor  broke  the  silence  to  say : 

"You  must  stop  smoking.  With  your  nervous  organiza- 
tion, you  must  cut  out  cigarettes,  or  tobacco  in  any  form, 
or  it  will  use  you  worse  than  this.  It  works  slower  in  other 
people.  But  you,  and  many  like  you,  go  down  under  it  as 
if  it  were  a  battering  ram.  In  the  long  run,  it  catches 
them  all — yes,  and  breaks  them  all." 

Then  he  went  on  to  add  to  the  list  of  ailments  which 
Lenny  had  discovered  for  himself,  and  in  every  instance 
the  physician  was  correct. 

"In  the  main  all  of  these  troubles,"  he  said,  "have  their 


THE  TYEANT  IN"  WHITE  193 

origin  in  the  smoke  which  you  take  into  your  lungs.  When 
the  heart  sends  its  blood  to  the  lung  cells  to  be  purified, 
you  supply  it  smoke,  not  air.  Then  the  same  blood  must 
feed  your  brain  and  your  nervous  system,  as  well  as  other 
equally  important  parts  of  your  body.  I  will  give  you 
some  prescriptions.  But  they  are  only  meant  to  correct 
trifling  troubles.  The  cause  of  your  graver  troubles,  to- 
bacco, must  be  gotten  rid  of  if  you  wish  to  be  a  well  man 
again." 

After  some  general  advice  about  exercise  and  diet,  he 
wound  up :  "I  am  now  ready  to  turn  you  over  to  yourself. 
The  rest  is  in  your  hands,  Mr. — Mr. " 

He  had  paused  with  a  smile,  for  he  knew  that  the  name 
Lenny  had  given  him  was  an  assumed  one. 

"I  would  rather  not  have  you  call  me  other  than  Mr. 
Brown,"  said  Lenny. 

He  paid  the  required  fee,  thanked  the  physician  for  his 
advice,  and  made  his  way  out  of  the  office  rather  mechan- 
ically. The  open  street,  flooded  by  sunlight,  made  him 
dizzy.  He  walked  to  a  nearby  public  square,  where  he 
sat  down  on  a  bench.  As  he  sought  to  catch  the  signifi- 
cance of  his  interview  with  the  physician,  he  unconsciously 
lighted  a  cigarette  and  began  to  smoke. 

Suddenly,  with  a  gesture  of  repulsion  and  horror,  he 
flung  the  cigarette  away.  His  fright  increased  as  he  re- 
membered how  the  physician  had  accurately  hit  off  his 
physical  troubles.  The  advice  he  had  received  appeared 
too  necessary  to  be  laughed  off. 

"  'You  must  stop  smoking/  "  he  repeated.  "It  looks 
easy — but  it's  already  taken  some  of  the  will  power  I  need 
to  fight  it  with — unless  he  was  all  wrong !  And  if  he  was 
wrong  about  any  one  thing,  he  was  wrong  about  every- 


194  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

thing  else !  But  he  was  not — no,  not  after  those  wonder- 
ful guesses." 

Finally  he  shook  himself  together,  and  walked  to  the 
station  for  a  train  home.  He  asked: 

"What  will  I  do  without  cigarettes?  Won't  I  be  fussy 
and  nervous,  and  won't  I  be  upset  all  the  time?" 

All  that  day  he  struggled  frantically  against  the  lure  of 
"a  smoke,"  and  succeeded  by  holding  up  before  himself  his 
spells  of  illness,  his  failure  in  his  work,  and  his  duty  to  his 
mother.  When  hard  beset,  he  would  cry,  "I  must  get  rid 
of  the  habit  for  her  sake !  Oh,  I  must !" 

For  a  whole  week  victory  was  his.  During  that  time  he 
did  not  go  to  see  Justin,  for  fear  that  a  cigarette-case  would 
be  extended  to  him.  When  he  passed  a  tobacco  store,  he 
flew  by  it  with  his  teeth  shut.  The  odor  of  cigarettes  on 
some  of  his  coats  almost  drove  him  frantic.  He  did  not 
dare  to  take  in  any  of  the  professional  baseball  games  then 
starting,  much  as  he  wished  to,  because  of  the  smoking 
which  would  go  on  around  him. 

Then  one  day  he  found  a  half-filled  package  of  cigar- 
ettes while  rummaging  in  one  of  the  drawers  of  his  bureau 
— and  the  week's  fight  was  lost.  A  little  later  he  was  say- 
ing exultantly: 

"Why,  I  am  feeling  better  than  ever !  It's  like  a  tonic ! 
For  the  first  time  in  a  long  while  I  am  myself  again !  It 
can't  be  hurting  me !  I  could  never  feel  like  this  if  it 
was !" 

He  was  soon  deriding  the  advice  of  the  physician. 

"He  couldn't  take  my  money  without  trying  to  square 
himself  somehow,"  Lenny  laughingly  said. 

Once  more  he  dropped  back  into  the  long  spells  of  smok- 
ing. To  ease  his  conscience  somewhat  he  gave  attention  to 
the  remainder  of  the  physician's  advice.  He  tried  to  diet, 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  195 

and  overcame  his  dislike  for  long  walks,  taking  care  that 
they  did  not  bring  him  near  Conny's  home.  Something 
more  undesirable  than  a  talk  with  her  was  in  store  for  him, 
however,  when  he  went  out  one  afternoon.  He  met  Bob 
Maur. 

Lenny  felt  as  if  he  had  received  a  shock.  He  could  not 
summon  up  enough  strength  to  steady  his  glance  against 
the  searching  gaze  of  the  robust  stock  broker,  who  looked 
twenty-five,  confident  and  strong.  Lenny  slouched  some- 
what ;  and  his  eyes  had  a  haunted,  apologetic  look. 

"Well,  well!"  exclaimed  Maur,  smiling  at  him.  "I  was 
bound  to  run  into  you !  Tell  me  about  every  blessed  thing ! 
Are  you  realizing  your  expectations?  How  is  your  work 
going?" 

"Not  particularly  well,"  Lenny  blurted  out,  in  spite  of 
himself. 

"That  so?"  Maur  said,  somewhat  surprised  by  this 
frank  confession.  "Bad  health  again?" 

"Yes,  I  guess  I'm  run  down  a  bit,"  Lenny  replied.  He 
was  sorry  now  that  he  had  spoken  hastily.  "I  wanted  to 
pass  my  examinations  with  credit.  I  did  do  quite  well. 
But  I'm  going  to  enter  a  lawyer's  office,  instead  of  finish- 
ing the  whole  course."  Then  he  allowed  himself  a  lie. 
"It  was  at  the  request  of  a  big  corporation  attorney  who 
ia  a  friend  of  mother's.  I  am  not  free,  though,  to  give 
his  name,  old  man." 

"Then  I  don't  see  what  you're  kicking  about!"  said 
Maur  quickly,  with  unbelief  in  his  manner. 

"My  bad  health,  of  course,"  Lenny  replied.  "But  I 
oughtn't  to  take  a  passing  indisposition  seriously!  A 
youngster  like  me  to  worry  about  his  health !  It's  ridicu- 
lous, isn't  it  ?  I'll  get  straightened  out  pretty  soon !  I've 


196  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

got  a  lot  of  important  work  next  year,  for  which  I'll  need 
every  ounce  of  strength  I  can  accumulate." 

"/  haven't  had  time  to  think  of  anything  except  the  re- 
sponsibilities that  have  been  thrust  upon  me!"  said  Maur, 
tapping  the  ground  with  his  cane.  "Have  you  heard 
about  what  brought  me  to  Philadelphia  ?  It  may  be  luck, 
but  it  means  still  more  responsibility." 

"What  was  it?"  Lenny  asked,  a  griping  feeling  of  envy 
within  him,  a  feeling  he  had  not  known  so  intensely  before, 
which  sickened  him  at  heart,  and  almost  made  him  fever- 
ish. 

"Eemember  my  Aunt  Harriet?  But  say,  didn't  Conny 
tell  you  all  about  it  ?  You  couldn't  have  been  around  there 
lately!"  exclaimed  Maur. 

The  astonishment  with  which  he  said  this  revealed  now 
little  he  gleaned  from  Conny  about  Lenny's  moves. 

"My  time  has  been  divided  between  the  law  library  at 
the  University  and  home.  Didn't  Conny  tell  you  that?" 
Leonard  sparred.  He  asked,  "What  about  your  Aunt  Har- 
riet? We  were  talking  about  her." 

"When  she  died  last  month,  she  was  good  enough  to 
leave  me  all  she  had,"  Maur  related.  "Sounds  too  good 
to  be  true,  doesn't  it?  That's  the  way  it  looked  to  me 
when  I  first  heard  of  it,  especially  when  I  found  out  what 
a  pile  of  money  it  involved." 

Lenny  made  no  comment.  Had  his  soul's  salvation  de- 
pended upon  it,  he  could  not  have  forced  himself  to  say 
that  he  was  glad. 

"That's  what  brought  me  back  from  New  York,"  Maur 
went  on  after  waiting  for  the  other  to  remark  about  his 
good  luck,  and  enjoying  the  fact  that  Lenny  could  not. 
"I  intend  to  put  that  money  to  use  right  away.  I'm  go- 
ing into  the  brokerage  business  in  Philadelphia  with  Dan 


THE  TYEANT  Iff  WHITE  197 

Howell,  of  Ruyder,  Cressman  and  Company.  Though  he's 
over  thirty-five,  we've  chummed  splendidly.  He's  a  con- 
servative man.  You'll  wonder  why  I  don't  go  in  with  dad. 
But  what  fun  is  there  in  being  bossed,  even  by  one's  father  ? 
He  is  sore  on  me  for  not  throwing  my  capital  into  his 
office.  Come  around  to  see  me  when  I  get  fixed.  I'll  send 
you  a  card." 

"I  will,"  said  Lenny  briefly. 

There  was  no  slouch  in  his  walk  when  he  left  Maur, 
until  a  turn  of  the  corner  allowed  him  to  fall  back  into 
his  nerveless  gait.  Then  his  hands  clenched  desperately. 
Tears  of  mortification  were  in  his  eyes.  He  tried  to  shrug 
away  the  loneliness  he  felt.  But  "Beaten!"  loomed  large 
before  him. 

He  had  no  inclination  to  go  home ;  it  was  the  last  place 
to  which  he  cared  to  bring  the  feeling  of  defeat  which  was 
suffocating  him.  He  told  himself  that  he  had  been  more 
unkind  to  his  mother  than  to  himself.  So  why  should  he 
trouble  her  with  his  presence — especially  since  she  believed 
him  to  be  living  in  a  happier  frame  of  mind  than  for  some 
time  past  ? 

Brooding,  he  walked  aimlessly  on.  He  tried  to  see  the 
future,  fully  aware  now  that  his  smoking  had  been  entirely 
responsible  for  the  sapping  of  his  energies.  The  belief 
that  cigarettes  could  not  harm  him  had  given  way  to  the 
certainty  that  he  was  once  more  going  downhill  because  of 
them.  He  asked  himself  whether  he  had  a  right  to  with- 
hold from  his  mother  what  the  physician  had  told  him. 
Then  he  hit  upon  the  idea  of  going  West  for  a  year's  life 
on  horseback. 

"My  law  will  have  to  wait,"  he  said.  "With  renewed 
health  I  will  be  able  to  put  up  a  stronger  fight.  I  can  get 
through  my  preparation  for  the  bar  in  two  years.  I  won't 


198  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

be  over  twenty-three  then.  No,  I'm  not  down  and  out  by 
any  means!  Mother  will  go  West  with  me.  She  would 
profit  by  the  change,  too." 

Renewed  ambition  urged  him  on  again.  Everything 
became  luminous  with  promise.  A  moment  later  his 
dreams  collapsed  as  physical  faintness  seized  him.  He  was 
glad  to  be  near  one  of  Germantown's  main  streets,  within 
.  reach  of  a  saloon.  There  he  took  a  drink  of  brandy. 

At  dinner  that  evening  he  forced  joke  after  joke  to  hide 
his  gloom  from  his  mother.  Afterwards  he  sought  a  cor- 
ner of  the  porch,  and  wearily  watched  the  landscape  darken 
as  night  came  on.  His  stagnation  of  spirit  almost  made 
him  shudder. 

As  the  shadows  about  the  house  darkened  into  night,  he 
felt  a  tightening  of  his  heart-strings.  The  blended  chirp 
of  crickets  was  like  a  wail  to  his  ears,  and  he  shrank  fur- 
ther into  his  seat.  He  covered  his  ears  with  his  hands, 
and  shut  his  eyes.  But  the  roar  within  his  brain  was  as 
maddening  as  that  without. 

His  hands  dropped  to  his  sides.  He  stared  with  wide- 
open  eyes  into  the  inky  sky  beyond  the  branches  of  the 
trees.  A  sob  stole  past  his  throat.  He  battered  the  next 
one  back  with  furious  self-command.  Then  the  strength 
ebbed  again.  He  lay  back,  with  parched  lips,  hardly  dar- 
ing to  breathe. 

There  was  a  step  on  the  porch.  He  was  sure  it  was  his 
mother,  and  at  once  he  decided  upon  a  course  of  action. 
As  he  waited  with  suspended  breath,  a  hand  was  laid  upon 
his  shoulder.  With  more  volume  of  tone  than  he  believed 
himself  master  of,  he  said : 

"Sit  down.  I  want  to  talk  to  you.  I  am  glad  you're 
here  at  this  moment." 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  199 

The  chair  beside  him  creaked.  Then  Lenny,  without 
turning,  broke  out : 

"I  want  to  tell  you  that  I'm  a  wreck.  I'm  beaten — 
badly!  I'm  done  for.  It's  the  cigarettes.  My  nerves 
have  all  gone  to  pieces.  I'm  tobacco  soaked.  I've  been  told 
that  by  a  doctor.  And  now  there's  no  hope  for  me  here. 
I've  got  to  go  away.  I've  been  hiding  it  from  you.  I've 
been  lying  about  my  condition.  I've  been  keeping  back 
how  much  I've  been  smoking.  Cigarettes  killed  my  col- 
lege career.  I  can't  sleep.  I'm  sick  half  the  time.  I've 
gotten  to  be  useless.  There's  no  use  trying  to  delude  you 
or  myself  any  longer.  The  jig  is  up !  I  feel  that  if  I'm 
not  to  die  right  under  your  eyes,  I  must  get  away.  Mother, 
I'm  not  a  coward,  and  I'm  not  afraid  of  death,  but — but 
I'm  afraid  now !" 

The  chair  beside  him  had  been  thrust  back,  and  its  occu- 
pant had  risen  with  a  moan. 

"It's  been  the  smoking,"  Lenny  went  on,  as  if  to  have 
done  with  it;  "the  same  thing  that  struck  down  dad.  You 
were  right  when  you  warned  me.  I  didn't  believe  it  could 
be  so.  But  because  of  the  cigarettes,  my  studying  never 
amounted  to  much.  I  had  to  loaf  most  of  the  time.  I 
couldn't  get  down  to  any  work — until  it  was  too  late.  All 
the  studying  I  did  in  the  last  two  years  could  never  have 
been  the  cause  of  all  this.  Well,  it's  all  up  with  me !  I'm 
going  away.  And  I'd  rather  go  away  alone." 

"Lenny!"  came  in  a  choked,  terrified  voice  which  did 
not  belong  to  his  mother. 

He  started  up,  clinging  to  the  arms  of  his  chair,  and 
glared,  like  a  trapped  wild  thing,  at — Conny ! 

"I  did  not  mean  to  listen,"  she  sobbed.  "At  first  I 
thought  you  knew  it  waa  I.  Then  when  you  talked  on,  I 


200  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

wanted  to  hear.  I  had  to !  Say  that  it's  all  exaggerated, 
Lenny !  Say  it !  0  my  Lenny !" 

His  amazement  was  slowly  giving  way  to  chagrin  and 
anger. 

"But  why  should  you  have  listened?"  he  demanded. 
"What  could  it  have  meant  to  you  to  hear  those  terrible 
things?  You  should  have  stopped  me!" 

At  once  there  came  in  return : 

"I  had  to  hear  because  I  am  your  friend!  And  I'm 
glad  it  was  I,  and  not  your  mother !  Think  what  those 
words  would  have  meant  to  her !  And  you  had  to  speak 
them  to  somebody !  Why  not  to  me  ?  I  want  to  help  you, 
Lenny.  Why  shouldn't  you  win  out  against  the  cigar- 
ettes? You  always  could  fight!  Who  knows  that  better 
than  I  ?  You  are  no  coward !  But  you  should  win  out 
right  here,  and  not  run  away  from  a  difficulty.  Stay  at 
home,  and  cut  down  your  smoking  a  little  at  a  time.  You 
needn't  stop  it  all  at  once.  Oh,  you  will  succeed.  You 
will!  You  are  going  to  start  all  over  again,  too!  You 
can  do  it !  You  are  young !  I  know  you  are  going  to  real- 
ize all  you've  been  hoping  for,  you  dear  boy !  You  are  go- 
ing to  be  one  of  my  wishes  come  true." 

He  was  eyeing  her  almost  sullenly.  Then  he  said  in 
a  tone  of  derision: 

"  Start  all  over  again  ?  It  sounds  easy  enough !  But  I 
can't  concentrate  on  anything.  And  I  must  smoke.  No, 
it's  too  late.  Nothing  is  easy  any  more.  All  the  fight  has 
gone  out  of  me !" 

He  went  on,  in  a  tone  of  surprise,  as  if  speaking  to  him- 
self:  "Who  would  have  believed  cigarettes  could  have  done 
it?  I  always  thought  drink  was  the  curse  to  be  afraid  of. 
And  there  was  Justin  smoking,  and  it  didn't  seem  to  harm 
him.  That's  what  kept  me  from  quitting  long  ago.  Ever 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  201 

since  I  knew  him,  he's  had  a  cigarette  in  his  mouth.  So  it 
seemed  all  right  for  me  to  do  it.  Not  that  I  blame  him ! 
He  wasn't  urging  me  on.  He  was  just  an  example.  But 
I  never  had  his  strength.  It's  all  right  now  to  say,  'Break 
it  off!'  I  can't.  I've  tried.  You  wouldn't  understand. 
You  couldn't.  It  may  seem  funny — a  little  cigarette,  and 
I  a  man !  But  I  guess  I'm  not  much  of  a  man  now.  I'm 
going  away — out  West.  But  why  should  I  be  telling  you 
all  this?  And  what  right  have  you  to  listen?" 

"Because,  except  for  your  mother,  Lenny,  there  isn't  any 
one  in  the  whole  world  who  cares  quite  as  much  as  I.  You 
think  I'm  still  a  young  girl.  But  you  forget  we've  been 
growing  up,"  Conny  reminded  him.  "You've  got  to  listen 
to  me  because  I'm  your  friend — because  never  have  I 
stopped  thinking  about  you,  even  though  you  tried  to  for- 
get all  about  me.  All  I  want  to  say  is  that  you've  got  to 
stay,  Lenny.  You'd  smoke  just  as  much  if  you  went  West. 
If  you  stayed  on,  and  made  an  effort,  all  the  old  ambition 
would  come  back.  There  are  so  many  here  who  care  for 
you!  If  you  kept  near  them,  you  could  do  lots  of  things 
to  advance  yourself.  If  you  were  far  away,  you  would  not 
care.  Then  there  is  your  mother.  And  Justin  Mahan  is 
awfully  fond  of  you.  Aunt  thinks  you're  splendid.  Uncle 
Trevor  is  one  of  the  best  friends  you  have.  And  am  7  not  ? 
All  these  almost  in  one  house,  too !  And  there  are  plenty 
of  people  in  Germantown  who  care.  Why,  all  those  boys 
you  made  the  league  for!  No,  you're  not  going  away! 
You're  going  to  make  us  all  proud  of  you  right  here !" 

To  Lenny  the  list  of  those  who  cared  did  not  appear  very 
long,  so  utter  was  his  loneliness  just  then.  But  in  that  mo- 
ment he  was  greatly  moved  by  the  sweet  beauty  of  the  girl 
pleading  with  him.  It  winged  its  way  through  the  dark- 
ness, and  stirred  him.  He  could  see  Conny  quite  clearly 


203  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

now.  His  dullness  began  to  give  way  to  interest.  It  was 
true — she  was  no  longer  a  child  in  short  skirts,  but  a  young 
woman.  It  stood  out  as  something  he  had  not  quite  seen 
before — as  something  very  strange  and  very  important. 
And  a  great  respect  for  her  grew  up  within  him  in  that 
short  space  of  time. 

"I  know  that  your  mother  will  not  let  you  go,  if  you 
are  going  in  that  spirit,"  she  was  saying.  "And  I — " 
her  hand  went  out  to  him,  " — I  wouldn't  know  what  to  do 
without  you,  even  though  you  have  neglected  me  so  much. 
Will  you  not  stay  for  our  sakes?" 

"I'll  stay,"  he  said,  drawing  a  deep  breath.  "I  see  now 
that  I  would  have  had  to  come  back  soon,  anyhow.  You're 
good  to  me,  Conny — and  I'm  not  worth  it !" 

"Aren't  you,  though!"  she  cried,  her  voice  quivering 
with  feeling.  "If  you  only  knew  what  you  mean  to  us! 
And  you're  going  to  mean  more !" 

As  a  shadow  cast  by  some  one  moving  in  front  of  the 
light  in  the  Captain's  library  showed  on  the  path  leading 
from  the  house,  Conny  said,  "Your  mother  is  up  there. 
You  want  to  go  in  and  talk  to  her,  don't  you  ?  Don't  tell 
her  I  was  here,  though." 

"Dear  mother!"  he  said,  turning  away  a  little. 

"You  know  I  never  saw  my  mother,"  Conny  said  simply. 

"Think  what  little  joy  I  have  brought  mine  !"  he  replied. 

"But  how  could  you  when  you  are  just  beginning?"  she 
said  as  she  covered  his  hands  with  hers.  "Don't  you  know 
you  will  bring  her  a  great  deal  when  you  tell  her  that 
you've  won  out  against  this  terrible  habit?" 

Then  she  softly  slipped  away.  As  the  white-garbed  fig- 
ure vanished,  he  extended  his  hands  with  a  gesture  of  de- 
termination. 

"We  aren't  beaten  yet !"  he  exclaimed. 


CHAPTEE  XII 

COLONEL  HENDERSON  waa  a  more  frequent  visitor  at 
Mrs.  Craigie's  home  than  ever,  despite  the  gossip  which 
this  created.  He  claimed  that  he  came  as  a  friend — noth- 
ing more.  And  so  he  proved  himself,  for  he  took  care  to 
have  information  about  safe  investments  on  the  occasion  of 
every  visit.  Mrs.  Craigie  was  gratitude  itself  for  this  help, 
for  she  was  making  plans  for  the  future. 

"Leonard  must  have  all  the  money  he  can  make  use  of," 
she  said  to  Gertrude  when  the  Colonel's  name  came  up. 
"Suppose  Lenny  should  give  up  law,  and  take  to  writing. 
How  valuable  it  would  be  for  him  to  have  an  inde- 
pendent income !  The  book  at  which  he  has  been  working 
shows  that  he  has  literary  ability.  And  I  am  safe  in  se- 
curing him  that  income,  for  he  has  always  been  chary 
about  spending  large  sums.  He  is  too  thoughtful  to  do 
BO." 

Yet  only  several  days  after,  Lenny  asked  for  money; 
and  he  repeated  this  request  on  the  following  day;  and 
still  again  on  the  day  after  this.  Just  a  week  had  inter- 
vened between  his  interview  with  Conny  and  this  sudden 
call  for  funds.  With  that  money  he  had  gone  to  the  bet- 
tors' section  at  one  of  the  professional  baseball  parks,  and 
had  wagered  sums,  not  once,  but  six  times,  spread  over  as 
many  afternoons. 

803 


204  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

This  betting  had  its  origin  in  an  accident.  In  a  train 
going  into  Philadelphia,  he  had  overheard  a  discussion  on 
"betting  on  pitchers."  The  claim  was  made  that  a  wager 
laid  on  a  reputable  pitcher,  rather  than  on  the  work  of  a 
club  as  a  whole,  would  win.  The  man  who  argued  claimed, 
further,  that  most  of  the  bettors  were  not  keen  students 
of  the  game,  and  did  not  follow  with  any  care  the  out-of- 
town  work  of  the  baseball  clubs. 

Eager  to  test  this,  and  tempted  by  the  excitement  it 
promised,  Lenny  had  gone  to  the  games  and  had  "betted 
on  pitchers."  He  had  no  trouble  in  locating  that  portion 
of  the  grand-stand  where  the  bettors  congregated.  His 
money,  however,  went  to  his  opponents  four  times  in  suc- 
cession. Careless  playing  on  the  part  of  the  club  behind 
the  pitcher  upon  whom  he  had  wagered  had  been  the  cause. 

But  the  fifth  and  sixth  times  he  won.  When  he  visited 
the  grand-stand  again,  he  chanced  upon  Justin  Mahan. 
Lenny  hid  his  disappointment  at  this  interruption  to  his 
week  of  excitement.  He  derived  some  pleasure,  however, 
in  listening  to  Justin's  comments  upon  the  various  plays 
as  they  came  off.  In  the  end  he  was  also  pleased  to  see 
that  had  he  betted,  he  would  have  won. 

When  he  asked  Justin  to  have  something  to  drink  after 
the  game,  the  older  man  was  first  surprised,  and  then 
amused. 

"I  keep  forgetting  that  your  tender  years  are  no  more!" 
he  immediately  said  to  mollify  Lenny.  "Still,  I  think 
we'll  be  wise  to  keep  your  dissipation  down  to  beer." 

Over  the  glasses  they  spoke  of  the  increasing  profits 
which  every  season  brought  those  who  were  financing  base- 
ball teams. 

"Nothing  else  in  the  world  gets  the  enormous  free  ad- 
vertising which  falls  to  the  game,"  said  Justin;  and  sud- 


THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE  205 

denly  awoke  to  the  fact  that  Lenny  was  ordering  a  second 
round  of  drinks. 

"None  of  that  for  you !"  he  said,  rising,  and  halting  the 
waiter. 

"Why,  it's  only  beer!"  said  Lenny. 

"Well,  we've  had  enough,  even  if  it  is!"  And  Justin 
led  him  off,  remarking,  "It  was  only  yesterday  that  you 
were  a  bit  of  a  fellow,  and  now  you're  trying  to  pose  as  a 
toper !" 

They  went  into  Germantown,  talking  and  smoking  like 
tried  comrades.  Mahan  advised: 

"Go  to  Europe  for  a  couple  of  years,  Leonard.  There  is 
time  to  break  into  law.  And  people  have  a  way  of  looking 
up  to  a  traveled  man.  They  would  forgive  you  all  your 
sins  of  omission — such  as  not  taking  a  college  degree." 

"Ah,  then  people  are  really  making  remarks  about  it !" 
Lenny  cried  at  once.  "I  knew  they  would !  I  knew  it !" 

"Oh,  only  one  fellow,  that's  all — about  whom  we  need 
not  concern  ourselves,"  said  Justin  carelessly,  conscious  of 
the  break  he  had  made. 

"Bob  Maur,  I  suppose!"  Lenny  guessed  at  once. 

"Well,  if  we  must  speak  about  it,  why,  who  else  but  Bob 
Maur?"  said  Justin  with  a  shrug.  "But  he  need  not  con- 
cern us.  We  could  count  his  friends  on  the  fingers  of  one 
hand,  and  have  some  fingers  to  spare;  unless  he  believes 
that  those  who  want  to  use  him  are  his  friends.  So  why 
should  we  bother  about  him  ?"  He  looked  at  his  companion 
out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  as  he  added,  "He  is  paying  a 
good  deal  of  attention  to  Conny." 

Leonard  lowered  his  eyelids  a  little,  and  did  not  reply  at 
once.  When  he  spoke,  he  said,  "I  would  wish  him  any- 
thing in  the  world  but  that!  If  he  were  deserving  of  her, 
I  would  wish  him  well  in  that  too !" 


2061  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

They  were  ready  to  alight.  Lenny  had  thrown  away  his 
cigarette  as  they  came  out  of  the  smoking-car,  and  he  was 
happy  that  he  had  done  so,  for  Conny  and  Gertrude  were 
at  the  station.  As  Justin  went  ahead  with  the  latter, 
Conny  said  in  a  low  voice,  "Let  us  walk  slowly,  Leonard. 
I  must  have  you  to  myself  for  a  little  while." 

After  an  unendurable  silence,  Lenny  exclaimed,  "Well, 
won't  you  say  something?" 

"I  expected  that  you  would  come  to  see  me,"  Conny  said 
somewhat  hesitatingly. 

"I  might  have  done  so — instead  of  going  to  these  base- 
ball games.  But — but  I'd  rather  not,  Conny,"  he  was 
candid  enough  to  tell  her. 

She  changed  the  conversation  by  saying,  "You  are  going 
to  the  shore  next  week  with  your  mother,  I  suppose." 

"Yes,  thank  goodness!"  he  exclaimed.  "I'm  so  nervous 
that  even  the  small  excitement  of  watching  a  baseball  game 
upsets  me!  I'll  rest  this  summer — and  finish  that  book." 

"Why  don't  you  bring  it  around,  and  show  me  what  you 
have  done?"  she  pleaded. 

"Don't  ask  me  to  come  to  see  you,"  he  said  hurriedly. 

"I  won't,  if  you  are  not  worried  about  how  things  are 
going  with  you,"  she  replied. 

"I'm  trying  to  see  my  way  clear.  I  am  not  sure  of  my- 
self yet !"  he  confessed. 

"But  it  must  be  soon !  soon !  Don't  put  it  off !"  she  cried. 

"Oh,  I  would  so  much  rather  you  stopped  thinking  about 
me,  Conny!"  he  begged.  "There  are  whole  troops  of  boys 
and  girls  who  can  make  you  happy.  Just  forget  me.  I'll 
let  you  get  on  good  terms  with  me  when  I  fall  on  my  feet 
again.  Not  before  that !  Come,  it's  a  bargain  !" 

"Oh,  no!"  she  exclaimed.    Then  she  said  in  a  whimsical 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  207 

manner,  "It  would  be  a  poor  return  for  the  many  times  you 
stood  up  for  me  against  the  boys  when  we  were  kids !" 

"I  hardly  remember  those  times  now,"  he  said. 

"Oh,  but  I  do !"  she  cried.  Then  she  asked,  "What  were 
you  and  Justin  so  chummy  about?" 

"He  was  urging  me  to  go  to  Europe  for  a  couple  of 
years.  But  I'm  still  stuck  on  the  idea  of  forcing  him  into 
partnership  with  me,"  Lenny  said,  with  the  ghost  of  a 
smile.  "Well,  I  turn  off  here.  But  tell  me — what  has 
Bob  Maur  been  saying  about  me?" 

"Just  as  much  as  I  would  let  him,  so  he's  had  to  keep 
you  out  of  our  talks,"  she  replied.  "Why?  Did  Justin 
mention  his  name  ?  They  were  together  for  a  few  moments 
yesterday.  I  suppose  Bob  asked  about  you.  No  wonder 
he  waa  quiet  when  I  came  back.  Trust  Justin  to  make 
him  uncomfortable !  Oh,  why  shouldn't  everybody  get 
along  with  everybody  else?" 

Lenny  held  out  his  hand  in  parting.  She  took  it  with  a 
quick  little  motion  which  gladdened  him  for  the  time  being. 

"Your  vacation  must  be  half  play  and  half  work,  Jack, 
my  dear  boy !"  she  counseled. 

"What  wouldn't  I  give  to  make  every  day  a  whole  work- 
day !"  he  exclaimed. 

"You  could  give  your  promise,"  said  Conny.  " — But 
I  had  better  catch  up  with  aunty." 

He  smiled  at  her  as  he  bade  her  good-by.  She  watched 
him  walk  toward  his  home,  and  her  lips  were  tightly  com- 
pressed to  keep  back  the  tears.  When  she  reached  her  own 
home,  she  threw  herself  into  her  uncle's  arms,  and  clung 
to  him. 

He  could  not  understand  why  she  was  silent.  She  waa 
eaying  to  herself : 

"It  won't  do  to  tell  anybody  about  Lenny.    He'll  manage 


208  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

for  himself.  I  must  not  talk  about  him.  If  I  interfered 
too  much,  I  might  lose  his  friendship !  He  will  be  himself 
again  soon !  Oh,  he  will !" 

Then  suddenly  she  whispered  to  her  uncle,  "Sometimes 
I  think  you  and  I  might  go  away  somewhere,  and  never, 
never  come  back !" 

His  eyes  flashed,  as  if  vistas  of  joy  had  been  unfolded  to 
his  eager  soul.  He  remained  like  one  in  a  dream,  absently 
stroking  Conny^s  hair.  Then  he  shook  himself  together, 
and  put  away  the  gripping  desire  to  cry:  "But  you  really 
belong  to  me  anyhow !  You,  Constance,  are  my  own  child ! 
Of  course  we  can  go — and  never  come  back !" 

Instead  he  asked,  "What  made  you  sad  so  suddenly?" 

"Because  I  can't  understand  things.  When  I  was 
young,  everything  was  simpler.  Why,  for  instance, 
shouldn't  Aunt  Gertrude  be  happy  about  you?" 

"But  your  aunt  is  not  altogether  happy  about  many 
other  things,"  he  told  her,  seizing  the  opportunity  to 
impress  upon  Conny  that  she  should  give  more  time  and 
attention  to  Gertrude,  instead  of  lavishing  all  upon  him. 

"Aunt  is  happy,  but  is  hiding  it,"  Conny  insisted. 
"That's  like  her,  uncle.  She's  all  pride.  You  ought  to 
know  her  by  this  time !" 

Almost  at  that  very  moment,  Gertrude  was  saying: 

"My  pride,  silly  though  it  was,  Justin,  used  to  help  me 
over  difficulties.  I  am  not  so  certain  about  myself  now. 
There  have  been  many  things  to  weaken  me.  The  coming 
of  Trevor  to  this  house  was  one.  My  perpetual  lie  about 
his  relationship  to  Conny  was  another.  Then  there  was 
Conny's  transference  of  her  affection  from  me  to  him. 

And  finally,  Justin  dear "  she  hesitated  a  moment,  and 

finished  with  an  effort:  "I  am  afraid  that  I  have  been  of 
very  little  help  to  you." 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  209 

He  fairly  leaped  from  his  seat. 

"How  can  you  speak  that  way?"  he  cried.  "You  can't 
mean  it !  Don't  tell  me  that  again,  or  I  will  say  that  it  is 
7  who  am  disappointing  you!  That  is  it !  It  is  I  who  have 
been  the  failure !  I  promised  so  much — and  am  still 
empty-handed !" 

He  was  deathly  pale  now.  Gertrude  had  also  risen  to 
her  feet,  but  she  sought  to  keep  some  control  over  herself. 

"If  you  continue  to  talk  in  that  strain,  I  will  surely  not 
forgive  you !"  she  warned. 

There  was  a  tense  moment.  The  ring  of  the  telephone 
broke  the  suspense.  The  call  proved  to  be  from  Mrs. 
Craigie,  who  asked  if  they  could  come  over  after  dinner. 
Justin  and  Gertrude  swiftly  exchanged  glances;  and  than 
Gertrude  hesitated  long  enough  to  allow  Mrs.  Craigie  to 
guess  that  the  two  wished  to  have  their  evening  alone. 

When  Gertrude  hung  up  the  receiver,  Justin  said,  "She 
wants  us  as  much  for  Lenny  as  for  herself.  He  has  been 
brooding  about  his  shortcomings,  when  there  are  really 
none  worth  talking  about.  The  people  who  have  real  prob- 
lems are  usually  older  than  twenty.  Anyhow,  he's  too 
sensitive  to  be  happy  in  the  practice  of  law.  I  am  going 
to  bring  pressure  to  bear  on  his  mother  about  that." 

It  was  this  very  question  about  Lenny's  sensitiveness  as 
related  to  his  future  in  law  which  his  mother  was  constantly 
debating.  At  an  unexpected  moment  she  said  to  him : 

"Suppose  you  were  to  round  out  your  education  thor- 
oughly before  you  actually  settled  down  to  a  profession. 
You  have  never  really  gotten  a  good  education " 

"But  I  have  gotten  to  know  the  world  better  during  these 
two  years  of  life  among  men,"  he  interposed.  "Could  there 
be  anything  more  fortunate  than  that  for  a  young  fellow  ?" 

"Yes,  there  could  be  something  more  fortunate,"  said  his 


210  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

mother.  "It  is  to  discover  just  what  will  make  one  most 
happy  for  an  entire  lifetime.  I  would  not  be  surprised  if 
some  day  you  came  to  me  and  confessed  that  you  had  been 
mistaken  about  your  choice  of  law ;  that  you  had  found  an 
aptitude  for  something  else  which  would  give  you  more 
joy.  Then  would  come  the  moment  when  you  would  shake 
off  all  your  doubts,  and  would  rise  to  the  full  height  of 
your  ability !  I  am  watching  and  waiting  for  that  time. 
Your  unrest  would  cease  then  !" 

Lenny  stared  at  the  frail  woman  sitting  quietly  before 
him.  He  cried  in  warning,  "Mother,  you  believe  me  finer 
than  I  am!"  in  a  voice  which  struggled  with  anger.  It 
almost  drove  him  to  tear  the  veil  from  her  eyes,  brutal  as 
that  might  have  been. 

She  merely  smiled.  To  hide  his  despair,  he  seized  some 
flowers  from  a  vase  near-by,  and  with  a  forced  smile  scat- 
tered them  over  her.  Then  they  laughed  together  because 
the  flowers  proved  quite  wet.  But  his  laughter  halted 
abruptly  when  he  stiffened  under  the  effect  of  a  sharp 
nervous  tremor  which  shot  through  his  body.  He  gripped 
a  chair  to  steady  himself.  It  was  all  too  brief  to  be  noticed 
by  his  mother. 

At  the  shore,  she  set  out  to  fight  his  moodiness  by 
insisting  that  he  should  get  about  a  great  deal.  This  was 
speedily  to  be  realized,  for  he  chanced  upon  a  former  class- 
mate who  hailed  from  the  Middle  West.  When,  however, 
the  latter  proposed  that  they  hunt  up  "a  few  good  fellows 
and  a  game,"  Lenny  did  not  leap  at  the  chance. 

"The  last  hand  of  poker  I  played  was  on  the  banks  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  with  Grosse,"  he  said.  "We  weren't  brilliant 
at  it." 

"Well,  you  won't  find  us  so,  either!"  said  the  other. 
"It's  just  to  while  away  an  evening.  I  know  two  or  three 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  211 

chaps  who  would  enjoy  a  game  if  it  was  merely  social  and 
we  weren't  stuck  on  making  money  out  of  each  other.  Pm 
going  to  count  you  in !" 

Lenny  was  too  eager  to  escape  the  monotony  of  the  life 
he  was  leading  to  offer  further  objections;  although  be- 
tween that  time  and  the  hour  when  they  assembled  in  the 
hotel  room  of  the  one  who  had  suggested  the  game  he  was 
several  times  on  the  brink  of  withdrawing,  but  was  lured 
on  by  the  prospect  of  spending  several  exciting  hours. 

A  bellboy  traveled  to  that  room  many  times  with 
liquor.  It  was  close  to  sunrise  before  Lenny  got  away. 
He  had  telephoned  his  mother  early  in  the  evening;  so  he 
was  enabled  to  delay  returning  to  his  hotel  without  worry- 
ing her.  The  liquor  he  had  drunk  made  it  hard  for  him  to 
find  his  way  easily  through  the  streets.  When  he  staggered 
into  bed,  he  was  too  helpless  to  take  off  his  clothes. 

The  sun  was  quite  high  before,  in  answer  to  his  mother's 
knock,  he  awoke.  He  asked  in  a  sleepy  voice  to  be  allowed 
to  have  another  hour,  and  dropped  dizzily  back  into  bed. 
On  finally  awakening,  he  was  greeted  by  a  racking  head- 
ache. His  mother  mistook  the  signs  of  dissipation  for 
drowsiness,  and  smiled  when  Mrs.  Mulholland  made  a 
remark  about  "sowing  one's  wild  oats." 

"Well,  the  seashore  is  a  mighty  strange  place  for  agri- 
culture !"  said  Lenny. 

When  he  came  back  to  take  stock  of  his  money,  he  found 
his  original  sum  increased  by  fifty  dollars. 

For  a  time  he  was  disgusted.  Then  he  laughed  weakly. 
In  the  end,  the  night's  doings  bore  a  pleasurable  aspect 
since  they  had  disposed  of  a  great  deal  of  time  very 
quickly. 

"All  those  fellows  were  of  good  family,"  he  hastened  to 
defend  the  dissipation  in  reply  to  his  conscience.  "A  few 


213  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

drinks  and  a  congenial  game  in  a  social  way  won't  neces- 
sarily spell  my  undoing." 

It  seemed  a  relief  to  let  it  go  at  that,  and  the  argument 
was  carried  no  further. 

He  tried  to  do  some  work  on  his  manuscript,  but  fell 
asleep  over  the  pages.  His  attempt  to  finish  the  doze  in 
his  room  was  interrupted  hy  a  telephone  call.  It  proved  to 
be  an  invitation  to  repeat  his  previous  evening's  luck  at 
cards. 

"I  am  spending  my  afternoon  taking  naps,"  he  said. 
"How  about  to-morrow?" 

"Need  two  days  to  recuperate  after  a  mild  affair  like 
ours?"  came  over  the  wire. 

"Looks  that  way,"  Lenny  replied.  "And  it'll  take  me 
two  days  to  count  over  what  I  have  won  from  you  fellows." 

This  brought  the  laugh  he  had  expected.  After  he  hung 
up  the  receiver,  he  shrank  back  in  disgust  from  the  thought 
of  his  part  in  that  morning's  dissipation.  He  decided  upon 
a  courteous,  yet  firm,  refusal  should  the  invitation  be 
repeated. 

At  dinner  Mrs.  Mulholland  took  care  to  personally  place 
a  letter  from  Conny  beside  his  plate,  with  a  ceremonious 
bow.  When  Lenny  ignored  the  letter,  she  broke  out : 

"If  Conny  wasn't  so  charitable,  some  people  would  be 
less  conceited !  Let  us  hope  some  real  man  will  make  her 
happy — mighty  soon,  too!" 

"Let  us  hope  so,"  he  echoed  carelessly. 

"  'None  but  the  brave  deserves  the  fair/  "  Mrs.  Mul- 
holland followed  up  the  attack. 

"Trust  her  to  find  that  out!"  Lenny  exclaimed. 

"Spoken  like  a  brave  man!"  came  mockingly. 

"Who  was  it  that  said,  'He  who  fights  and  runs  away, 
may  live  to  fight  another  day  ?'  "  asked  Lenny. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  213 

"Don't  boast  of  being  all  legs  and  no  heart!"  cried  Mrs. 
Mulholland. 

Resentful  that  the  talk  should  have  become  so  direct, 
Lenny  announced : 

"The  game  is  called!" 

When  he  was  out  of  the  way,  Mrs.  Mulholland  com- 
plained to  his  mother,  "If  he  would  only  flirt — or  make  a 
fool  of  himself  like  a  real  live  young  fellow!" 

"Don't  you  see  he  is  far  from  happy  because  he  believes 
he  has  done  nothing  else  but  make  a  fool  of  himself?"  said 
his  mother. 

That  night  Lenny  smoked  himself  into  a  fit  of  loneliness 
on  the  beach,  and  determined  never  again  to  spend  such 
tormenting  hours,,  even  if  he  had  to  go  back  to  the  card- 
players.  Such  a  course  looked  ridiculous  on  the  following 
morning.  But  the  day  dragged  again,  and  in  the  mental 
fog  in  which  he  moved  in  his  nervous  weariness,  he  sought 
out  his  companions  of  the  previous  night,  his  pride  and 
resistance,  for  the  time  being,  at  the  zero  point. 

Following  this,  for  three  nights  in  succession  his  hour  of 
return  was  pushed  far  into  the  morning.  His  mother  soon 
began  to  wonder  what  time  he  did  come  back.  Vague  fears 
prompted  her  to  go  to  his  room  on  the  fourth  night,  and 
to  wait  up  for  him. 

As  midnight  came  and  went,  she  only  shook  her  head 
indulgently,  mindful  of  the  fact  that  he  was  no  longer  a 
boy,  and  then  continued  her  reading  of  the  magazine  she 
had  brought  with  her.  When  one  o'clock  showed  on  the 
time-piece  on  his  bureau,  she  grew  visibly  anxious.  At  two 
she  was  no  longer  reading. 

Suddenly  she  started  as  a  fearful  thought  struck  her. 
Had  he  kept  similar  late  hours  on  other  occasions,  and  lied 
to  her  about  it?  As  she  dwelt  on  his  disinclination  to 


214  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

rise  early,  and  his  fagged  air  even  with  this  additional 
sleep,  the  probability  that  he  was  dissipating  seemed  cer- 
tain, and  she  was  almost  suffocated  by  her  grief. 

A  little  past  three  there  was  a  fumbling  at  the  door,  in  a 
peculiar  manner,  which  she  could  not  understand  as  the 
hall  was  well  lighted,  even  at  that  hour.  A  hand  moved 
the  knob,  and  the  key  which  struck  the  key-hole  frequently 
appeared  very  unsteady.  Mrs.  Craigie  hastily  went  to  the 
door,  less  fearful  of  intruders  than  of  Lenny  in  a  state  of 
extreme  weariness.  What  else  could  that  groping  mean? 

The  door  opened  before  she  could  lay  her  hand  on  it. 
She  was  about  to  speak,  in  order  to  keep  Lenny  from 
starting  when  he  came  in.  Speech,  however,  was  abruptly 
halted  by  the  way  in  which  he  staggered  into  the  room. 
She  cried  out  when  she  saw  that  he  was  drunk,  and  re- 
mained rooted  where  she  stood,  her  hands  on  her  heart. 

As  the  knowledge  of  who  was  in  the  room  slowly  dawned 
upon  Lenny's  clouded  mind,  he  made  an  effort  to  straighten 
himself,  but  he  only  saved  himself  from  falling  by  seizing 
a  chair  for  support.  The  sight  of  his  mother  sobered  him 
slightly.  He  was  able  to  find  his  tongue  to  say: 

"Dear  mamsy,  it's  funny,  isn't  it,  your  stayin'  up  for 
me!" 

He  hiccoughed  and  grinned  foolishly  at  her.  Then  he 
made  for  the  bed,  but  found  a  chair  a  half-way  road  to  it, 
and  dropped  into  the  seat  with  a  thud.  His  eyes  were 
almost  closed  now. 

"Lenny!"  cried  his  mother  in  agony. 

Her  distress  aroused  him.  Starting  up  with  an  unsteady 
gesture,  he  said : 

"Go  to  bed,  mamsy,  dear.  You  know  I've  got  a  right 
to  go  out  with  the  boys.  Yes,  mamsy,  it's  right.  Ain't  I 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  215 

grown  up?  Sure!  Now  go  to  bed  like  a  good  fellow. 
It's  awfully  late.  You  ain't  strong  either,  you  know." 

He  was  sobering  fast. 

"Made  lots  of  friends — just  like  you  wanted  me  to,"  he 
told  her,  conscious,  despite  his  very  helpless  state,  of  hia 
need  of  squaring  himself.  "Fine  boys.  Go  to  bed,  now, 
mamsy,  or  there  won't  be  any  night  left  to  go  to  sleep  in." 

Then  a  very  strange  thing  happened.  Walking  over  to 
him,  his  mother  first  gazed  sternly  into  his  tipsy  face.  Then 
she  seized  him,  and  shook  him  with  all  her  strength,  her 
eyes  blazing. 

His  jaw  dropped  with  astonishment.  He  sobered  suf- 
ficiently to  catch  his  mother  as  she  collapsed.  Staring  at 
the  inert  figure  in  his  arms  he  tried  to  comprehend  what 
had  happened. 

"Mamsy!"  he  cried.  "Say  you're  all  right!  Say 
there's  nothing  the  matter !  0  God !  I  haven't  killed  you, 
have  I  ?  Talk  to  me,  mamsy !  Talk  to  me !  Say  some- 
thing!" 

"Help  me  to  my  room,"  she  whispered. 

"No!  no!"  he  said.  "Just  lie  down  here  for  a  few 
moments !" 

"No,  you  had  better  take  me  to  my  room,"  she  told 
him. 

When  he  did  so,  and  had  laid  her  upon  her  bed,  he 
knelt  beside  it  and  gazed  at  her  with  frightened  eyes. 

"  I  wish  I  had  died  on  my  way  here !"  he  finally  said,  his 
voice  choked  with  sobs. 

"You  forget  that  you  are  all  I  have,"  she  replied. 

"Mother,"  he  said,  covering  his  face  with  his  hands, 
"why  should  you  not  marry  Colonel  Henderson?" 

"You  insult  me!"  she  exclaimed  in  a  voice  of  decide^ 


216  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

anger,  sitting  up.  "You  cannot  respect  me  or  yourself 
when  you  seek  to  evade  responsibility  in  this  way !" 

"I — I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  in  a  strange,  quiet 
voice.  "I  suppose  I  am  the  sort  of  fellow  who  tries  to 
escape  responsibilities.  That  is  the  whole  trouble.  I'm 
not  really  worth  your  love.  I'm  just  a  weak  fool ;  nothing 
more.  That's  the  reason  I  am  thoughtless  about  you — and 
about  myself." 

This  was  too  much  for  his  mother.  She  reached  out  her 
arms  and  held  him  close ;  and  the  next  moment  they  were 
both  crying  like  children. 

He  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Don't,  mamsy!"  he  begged.  "You're  breaking  my 
heart !  Oh,  you've  got  to  forgive  me  this  time !  Perhaps 
the  real  trouble  is  you  can't  do  anything  else  but  forgive 
me !  If  you  would  only  rage  at  me !  If  you  would  only  be 
harsh  and  tell  me  that  I  have  disappointed  you,  and  that 
you  are  ashamed  of  me,  and  done  with  me !  Dear  mamsy, 
you're  no  mamsy  at  all!  You're  just  the  softest-souled 
person  in  all  the  world !  A  dear  person  who  should  have 
had  a  daughter — like  Conny — instead  of  a  son  like  me." 

"You  will  not  find  me  so  lenient  or  soft  again  unless  you 
promise  never  to  mention  Colonel  Henderson's  name  as  you 
mentioned  it  to-night,"  she  said,  almost  entreatingly. 

He  was  not  glad  when  he  promised.  He  was  afraid  of 
the  future.  Then  he  wondered  why  she  had  not  exacted 
another  promise  from  him;  why  she  was  now  ignoring  his 
return  that  morning  in  a  drunken  condition. 

"If  she  would  but  mistrust  me !"  he  mentally  exclaimed. 

He  looked  at  the  frail  figure,  and  a  strong  detestation  of 
himself  swept  up  through  his  being.  He  stood  off,  as  if 
afraid  that  his  touch  would  defile  her. 


THE  TYEANT  IK  WHITE  217 

"My  dear  boy,  it  is  very  late,"  she  reminded  him  as  he 
stood  staring  ahead,  his  head  on  his  breast. 

He  started. 

"Yes,  I  have  been  keeping  you  from  sleep,"  he  said.  He 
came  to  her,  and  took  her  hand.  "I  am  sure  you  won't 
have  to  worry  about  my  late  hours  after  this,"  he  told  her. 
"Nor  about  my  drinking.  I  know  you  won't." 

A  tremor  shot  through  her.  She  whispered,  "Your  voice 
just  then  brought  your  father  vividly  before  me.  Oh, 
Lenny,  remember  that  it  is  you  who  will  have  to  make  my 
way  smooth  in  the  years  ahead  of  me!" 

He  soothed  her  with  stumbling,  tender  words.  As  he 
left  the  room,  all  his  grief  for  the  occurrence  of  the  last 
few  hours  summed  itself  up  in  the  thought : 

"If  I  were  reasonably  sure  that  I  could  smooth  my  own 
way  during  those  years 1" 


CHAPTER  XIII 

FOR  some  days  Lenny  did  not  appear  in  the  rooms  of 
his  card-loving  acquaintances.  But  there  came  an  after- 
noon when  he  smoked  himself  into  a  resigned  frame  of 
mind,  and  surrendered  to  his  craving  for  the  racket,  the 
talk,  and  the  excitement  of  the  card  table.  He  met  some- 
what shame-facedly  the  uproar  which  greeted  him.  How- 
ever, when  drinks  were  ordered  in  his  honor,  he  insisted: 

"I  am  going  to  cut  out  cocktails  and  highballs,  boys. 
Also  late  hours.  That  may  sound  goody-goody,  but  I've 
got  a  nervous  mother  at  the  other  end  of  the  route.  Now 
grin,  the  lot  of  you !" 

No  one  "grinned;"  so  he  was  almost  reconciled  to  his 
return.  He  promised  to  increase  still  further  the  number 
who  came  to  the  "game."  He  was  able  to  do  this  because 
his  mother  had  been  seeking  out  her  women  friends,  so 
that  their  male  relatives  might  be  added  to  Lenny's  circle 
of  acquaintances.  Little  did  she  dream  that  she  was  help- 
ing to  recruit  players  for  "select"  card  parties. 

About  this  time  Lenny  suggested  an  increase  in  his 
allowance.  His  mother  freely  opened  her  pocketbook  to 
him.  She  also  spoke  of  turning  over  to  him  some  real  es- 
tate, that  he  might  be  placed  on  a  more  independent  foot- 
ing. Not  a  suspicion  of  the  play  in  which  he  was  indulging 
crossed  her  mind.  His  hours  were  regular  enough  now, 
218 


THE  TYRANT  IK  WHITE  219 

and  his  drinking  was  not  sufficiently  in  evidence  to  be 
noticeable. 

"I  know  you  are  having  an  enjoyable  summer  at  last," 
she  said. 

"Look  at  the  bushels  of  acquaintances  you  have  gotten 
for  me!"  he  replied  evasively.  Then  he  hesitatingly  said, 
"But  they  can  certainly  spend  money!" 

"I  will  not  have  you  go  to  the  other  extreme  by  not 
spending  anything  at  all !"  she  told  him.  "You  must  know 
no  cares  this  summer !"  She  added,  "I  have  not  seen  you 
look  so  well  for  some  time," — deceived  by  his  tan. 

"You,  mamsy,  are  radiantly  beautiful!"  he  said  in 
return,  smiling  at  her,  although  his  heart  was  sick  within 
him  at  the  part  he  was  playing. 

As  he  stood  there,  apparently  cheerful,  his  mother  was 
happy.  She  noted  with  satisfaction — not  for  the  first 
time — that  he  had  grown  to  be  taller  than  she,  with  a 
slimness  which  gave  him  an  appearance  beyond  his  regular 
height.  His  black  hair  was  thrown  back  carelessly  from  his 
broad  forehead,  beneath  which  the  brown  eyes  looked  out 
thoughtfully  and  wistfully. 

Uneasy  under  her  gaze,  he  suddenly  began  to  talk  about 
his  book  of  brave  men's  exploits.  His  time  away  from  the 
card  table,  when  he  was  not  drowsing  on  the  beach,  was 
occupied  with  this  manuscript. 

Occasionally  he  would  drop  into  a  barroom  with  his 
newly  acquired  acquaintances.  He  took  care  to  order  only 
the  mildest  drinks,  and  listened  with  amazement  to  the  un- 
manly gossip  and  small  talk  of  supposedly  important  peo- 
ple. This,  however,  was  more  bearable  than  their  stories, 
which  made  him  ashamed  when  he  left  the  atmosphere  of 
the  barrooms. 


320  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

"Ah,  well,  they  all  tell  them,"  he  reflected.  "The  old 
fellows  are  just  as  bad  as  the  young." 

He  did  not  hide  from  himself  the  fact  that  the  gaming 
table  was  a  considerable  strain  on  his  nervous  system.  Try 
as  he  might,  he  could  not  master  the  trembling  of  his 
hands  when  cards  were  being  dealt  out  to  him.  It  put 
him  in  mind  of  the  several  betting  days  at  the  baseball 
games,  when  each  throwing-motion  of  the  pitcher's  arm 
was  like  a  shock. 

He  had  expected  that  by  playing  long  enough,  he  would 
overcome  the  strain  he  felt  during  the  dealing  of  cards. 
But  his  nervousness  on  every  occasion  almost  paralyzed 
him.  This  did  not  grow  out  of  his  fear  of  losing.  Money 
had  never  been  a  ruling  passion  with  him.  He  was 
satisfied  to  find  that  his  winnings  and  losses  balanced  each 
other  throughout  the  summer.  This  was  mainly  due  to 
the  careless  manner  in  which  the  others,  except  in  one  or 
two  instances,  played. 

A  letter  which  disturbed  him  greatly  came  to  him  toward 
the  end  of  summer.  It  was  from  Conny,  who  wrote: 

"All  you  say  sounds  strange,  and  not  at  all  like  you. 
You  seem  to  have  changed  an  awful  lot.  If  it  was  any- 
body else,  I  would  say  it  was  a  case  of  conceit.  But  I 
couldn't  be  that  unfair  to  you.  It  isn't  that  you've  grown 
older.  You  simply  don't  seem  to  remember  about  us.  You 
write  as  if  somebody  had  dictated  the  letter  to  you.  What's 
more,  not  once  do  you  mention  the  league !  It's  all  so 
queer!  I  seem  to  have  let  go  of  your  hand.  In  fact,  I'm 
getting  to  feel  that  I'd  rather  you  didn't  write  at  all !" 

A  subsequent  letter  demolished  all  his  resentment. 
Conny  wound  up,  after  a  string  of  whimsical  trifles,  by 
Baying,  "I  am  eager  to  have  a  look  at  you.  That's  the 
reason  I'm  wishing  summer  was  over !" 


THE  TYRANT  IN"  WHITE  221 

He,  on  the  other  hand,  regarded  with  gloom  its 
approaching  end.  To  offset  the  chance  of  a  dull  fall  and 
winter,  he  secured  a  number  of  addresses  from  those  whom 
he  had  met  at  the  card  table.  The  changing  character  of 
the  circle  there  had  brought  him  in  contact  with  men  of  all 
walks  of  life.  It  surprised  him  how  easily  they  forgot 
their  different  social  stations  when  they  dealt  each  other 
card-hands.  Whether  some  of  them  would  be  as  cordial  to 
him  in  the  city,  he  could  not  tell. 

When  he  made  no  mention  of  his  plans  for  the  future 
to  hia  mother,  she  was  happy  to  think  that  his  summer  had 
occupied  him  to  the  exclusion  of  everything  else. 

"  Once  he  gets  back  to  Germantown  he  will  be  clamoring 
to  start  right  in  again  on  his  law  work !"  she  told  herself. 
"Let  him  have  his  holiday!" 

When  on  his  return  home  he  still  persisted  in  being 
silent  about  his  plans,  his  mother  did  not  press  the  matter. 

"At  last,"  she  reasoned,  "he  has  learned  to  bide  his  time ! 
Contact  with  older  men  has  taught  him  patience." 

During  his  first  days  he  found  considerable  relief  in  the 
quiet  of  the  Germantown  streets  after  the  shore's  uproar. 
His  trips  past  the  Breen  home  were  taken  without  any 
misgivings ;  Conny  was  not  to  be  back  for  two  weeks. 

The  mirror  in  his  room  showed  him  that  he  had  changed 
much.  There  were  lines  about  his  mouth  and  eyes.  &t 
first  glance,  any  observer  would  have  said  his  age  was 
twenty-eight.  Only  the  fact  that  his  mother  saw  him 
constantly  kept  her  from  noting  these  changes. 

After  a  week,  he  said  to  her,  "I  am  so  anxious  about 
that  book,  that  I  am  going  to  give  a  month  to  it  before  you 
pick  out  some  law  office  for  me  to  enter.  That's  the  reason 
I  haven't  talked  law." 

"Since  the  writing  of  the  book  will  be  a  valuable  train- 


222  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

ing,  I  want  you  to  take  all  the  time  you  need,  dear,"  was 
her  reply. 

His  search  for  material  with  which  to  finish  the  manu- 
script took  him  to  libraries ;  but  he  often  changed  his  route, 
and  went  to  the  closing  games  of  the  professional  baseball 
clubs  instead.  Here  his  system  of  "betting  on  pitchers" 
brought  him  some  winnings.  There  was  no  opportunity 
of  going  to  the  games  of  his  own  league,  for  its  season  had 
closed  some  time  before. 

When  the  professional  baseball  season  came  to  an  end,  he 
fell  into  the  habit  of  wandering  into  fashionable  cafes, 
where  he  would  order  wine  and  listen  to  the  music.  At  one 
of  these  cafes  he  encountered  a  man  whom  he  had  met  at 
the  shore.  Lenny  was  effusive  in  his  greeting,  although  he 
remembered  that  this  man  was  the  most  pronounced 
gambler  at  the  card  parties. 

"You  look  bored,  Craigie,"  came  in  silken  tones.  "If 
you  have  time  on  your  hands,  there's  something  interest- 
ing in  the  poker  line  not  a  thousand  miles  from  here." 

"Fm  too  dull  for  a  game  to-day,"  said  Lenny. 

"Well,  perhaps  I  have  something  for  you  still  more 
interesting  than  that,"  persisted  his  acquaintance,  extend- 
ing his  cigarette-case. 

"You  must  really  believe  I  am  bored!"  Lenny  laughed. 

"You  weren't  trying  to  hide  the  fact,  you  know,"  was 
the  reply.  Then  the  man  leaned  over  and  whispered, 
"Millionaires  may  have  their  stock  market,  and  may  play 
at  buying  on  margin.  As  for  the  rest  of  us,  there's  some- 
thing just  as  good,  which  doesn't  need  any  more  apology 
than  Wall  Street.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  bucketshop?  It 
will  appeal  to  any  one  who  knows  anything  about  stocks, 
or  wants  to  learn  about  them." 

Graham  was  the  man's  name,  and  he  carried  himself 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  223 

well,  and  had  an  air  of  breeding.  Lenny  might  not  have 
paid  much  attention  to  his  offer  to  guide  him  through  a 
bucketshop;  but  the  thought  that  Maur  was  interested  in 
stocks  influenced  him,  and  after  a  moment  of  hesitation 
he  went  along. 

The  bucketshop  hardly  proved  terrifying.  On  one  wall 
was  a  list  of  stocks,  alongside  of  which  various  numbers 
were  changed  from  time  to  time.  There  was  a  flashily 
dressed  cashier,  several  assistants,  and  many  "customers." 
These  last  stared  fixedly  at  the  changing  numbers.  Every 
now  and  then  one  of  them  would  utter  an  exclamation. 
Those  who  were  successful  appeared  to  be  in  the  minority. 
There  was  the  rattle  of  small  coin.  The  number  of  cus- 
tomers changed  as  frequently  as  the  figures  on  the  board. 
Despite  this,  everything  wore  a  furtive  air. 

"I  guess  I've  had  enough  for  one  day,"  said  Lenny.  "I 
suppose  I  can  come  in  whenever  I  want  to,  eh?" 

"I  can  fix  that  all  right,"  said  his  guide;  and  proceeded 
to  introduce  him  to  the  man  who  watched  the  door. 

On  leaving  the  building,  Graham  hastened  to  overcome 
what  scruples  the  visit  to  the  bucketshop  might  have 
aroused  in  Lenny's  mind. 

"I  know  it's  gambling,"  said  the  older  man.  "But  it 
isn't  any  more  dishonest  than  the  stock  market.  And 
you'll  have  the  one  as  long  as  you  have  the  other.  As  for 
the  sort  of  people  who  were  in  that  place — they  didn't  look 
disreputable,  did  they  ?  Certainly  not !  They  are  small 
merchants,  clerks,  and  professional  men.  And  they  have 
a  right  there,  too !  I  can't  see  why  the  law  should  dis- 
criminate against  the  bucketshop  and  not  against  the  stock 
exchange!  I'm  against  laws  that  take  away  the  liberty  of 
the  people.  That's  not  mob  talk,  either!  I'm  a  college- 
bred  man,  and  my  people  had  money.  So  I'm  hardly  of 


224  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

the  mob.  If  you  feel  like  finding  out  whether  you've  got  a 
good  knowledge  of  the  stock  market,  go  to  the  bucketshop. 
It's  less  costly  than  the  stock  exchange." 

Lenny  was  yet  to  learn  that  Graham  had  an  interest  in 
the  undertaking.  But  after  the  lengthy  defense  of  the 
bucketshop,  the  well-groomed,  courteous  man  was  ready  to 
drop  the  subject,  and  to  inquire  whether  his  companion 
would  join  in  "a  quiet  hand."  which  was  played  in  an 
office-building  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city. 

"You'll  find  politicians,  lawyers,  business  men,  and 
even  doctors  there,"  said  Graham.  "It  won't  hurt  you  to 
get  acquainted.  Surprised  at  my  knowledge  of  things,  are 
you?"  he  asked  with  a  smile.  "I'm  what  they  call  a  man- 
about-town.  If  /  introduce  you  there,  it  will  be  all  right. 
Aa  a  rule,  they  steer  clear  of  strangers." 

The  class  of  men  around  the  card-table  in  the  office 
building  proved  to  be  an  improvement  over  those  in  the 
bucketshop.  They  received  Lenny  through  the  cloud  of 
tobacco  smoke  with  half-friendly  nods.  He  came  into  the 
game  for  a  few  minutes,  and  played  with  reckless  bravado, 
which  brought  him  some  winnings  and  the  increased  re- 
spect of  those  present.  Then  excusing  himself,  on  the 
plea  of  an  engagement,  he  slipped  away. 

Once  out  of  reach  of  the  habitues  of  the  card-table,  his 
conscience  rose  against  him  in  self-accusation.  The 
struggle  which  followed  was  too  much  for  his  nervous  state 
of  mind.  He  flung  off  his  remorse  by  offering  the 
argument : 

"I  am  learning  to  know  men,  and  am  getting  close  to 
human  nature.  Those  are  acquaintances  worth  having.  I 
must  not  be  a  snob !" 

He  continued  his  belated  walk  to  the  library,  only  to  find 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  225 

on  his  arrival  there,  that  the  excitement  of  the  afternoon 
had  left  him  unfit  for  work. 

During  the  sleepless  night  which  followed — a  not  un- 
usual occurrence  with  him  of  late — he  dealt  himself 
imaginary  card-hands  without  number.  The  next  morning 
was  gray  with  rain,  and  Lenny,  depressed,  hastened  back  to 
the  company  of  the  gamblers.  He  played  for  an  entire 
afternoon,  while  the  circle  about  the  table  kept  changing. 
Once  he  mentioned  Mahan's  name  to  a  politician  who  sat 
at  his  elbow. 

"Who?  Justin  Mahan?"  came  abruptly  in  reply.  "He's 
traveling  pretty  fast — backwards!" 

"No,  he'll  never  make  good — even  though  he  has 
money,"  said  another  who  had  overheard  the  remark. 

"Getting  so  cranky  lately,  he's  not  fit  for  decent  com- 
pany," said  a  third.  "He's  about  due  to  blossom  into  one 
of  those  mushroom  reformers." 

Afterwards  Lenny  saw  the  folly  of  mentioning  Justin's 
name  in  such  a  place,  since  it  might,  in  a  roundabout  way, 
bring  the  card-playing  to  the  ears  of  those  in  Germantown. 
He  lived  in  great  fear  of  this  for  a  week,  until  he  met 
Justin,  who  shook  his  hand  warmly,  and  scolded  him  for 
not  coming  up  to  the  office.  Justin's  talk  showed  that  the 
card-playing  crowd  was  not  in  the  habit  of  repeating  what 
it  heard  while  gaming. 

Although  Lenny's  scruples  about  what  he  was  doing  did 
not  cease  to  torment  him,  he  did  not  discontinue  his  play- 
ing. Again  and  again  he  promised  himself  to  stop;  only 
to  go  back  to  the  stale  atmosphere  of  tobacco  and  perspir- 
ing men.  He  spent  many  sleepless  hours  asking  himself 
what  fascination  there  could  be  in  tremblingly  watching 
how  the  cards  fell.  His  wearied  brain  was  too  bewildered 
to  attempt  an  answer.  Instead,  he  got  out  of  the  difficulty 


226  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

by  dwelling  on  the  fact  that  men  high  in  finance,  who  gave 
money  to  churches,  colleges  and  charity,  also  gambled — 
on  the  race-track,  during  trips  across  the  ocean,  and  at 
their  clubs. 

He  claimed  that  he  was  only  "sowing  his  wild  oats,"  and 
that  in  a  short  time  he  would  be  done  with  gambling.  But 
he  kept  on  going ;  and  he  began  to  pay  visits  to  the  bucket- 
shop.  Although  careful  at  first  about  the  men  with  whom 
he  talked,  he  soon  drew  no  line  about  his  associates.  He 
had  no  doubt  that  there  were  crooks  among  those  whom  he 
met  at  the  bucketshop.  But  very  soon  his  surroundings, 
instead  of  revolting  him,  grew  to  have  a  fascination,  which 
he  made  no  effort  to  resist. 

He  lied  to  his  mother  about  what  took  him  to  town.  He 
believed  that  if  she  knew  the  truth  it  would  kill  her.  So 
he  refrained  from  telling  her — just  as  he  concealed  his 
sleeplessness  and  his  general  ill-health. 

One  day  he  discovered  what  he  considered  an  important 
excuse  for  the  life  he  was  leading. 

"The  reason  Justin  has  been  a  failure  is  because  he  don't 
understand  the  man  in  the  crowd,"  he  argued.  "He  isn't 
democratic  enough.  He  wants  to  pull  them  off  their  feet, 
instead  of  walking  alongside  of  them  until  he  gets  what 
he  wants.  That  explains  his  failure.  I  shall  have  easier 
sailing  in  politics !" 

This  seemed  reasonable ;  and  he  went  out  of  his  way  to 
treat  every  one  as  an  equal,  although  there  were  many 
men,  both  in  the  bucketshop  and  at  the  card-table,  whose 
nearness  filled  him  with  disgust.  Among  these  were  white- 
faced  and  white-fingered  young  fellows,  always  carefully 
attired,  who  were  credited  with  being  "dope-fiends"  or 
users  of  drugs.  And  they  were  never  without  cigarettes  in 
their  mouths. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  227 

Several  of  them  were  noticeably  consumptive.  Lenny 
soon  saw  that  the  disease  had  a  hold  upon  others  about  him, 
in  the  main  those  who  indulged  in  "chain-smoking," — a 
fact  which  did  not  escape  Lenny's  naturally  observant  eye. 

During  periods  of  depression  he  allowed  himself  to 
wonder  how  morphine  or  opium  would  affect  him.  On  one 
occasion  when  one  of  his  repulsive  acquaintances — who  was 
unquestionably  a  user  of  drugs — invited  him  "to  come 
along  for  a  little  fun,"  Lenny  happened  to  be  struggling 
with  a  racking  headache,  and  his  will-power  was  at  low 
ebb.  Before  he  knew  what  he  was  doing,  he  had  accepted 
the  invitation.  But  by  the  time  he  had  walked  a  little  dis- 
tance, he  had  a  revulsion  of  feeling,  and  hastily  said : 

"No,  I  can't  go  along.  I — I  have  an  appointment. 
Some  other  time,  if  you  please !" 

And  he  hurried  off  in  an  opposite  direction. 

Then  he  realized  the  enormity  of  what  he  had  escaped. 
He  had  to  lean  against  a  wall  to  fight  the  mental  and  phys- 
ical sickness  which  engulfed  him.  Vertigo  sapped  the 
remainder  of  his  strength.  He  never  remembered  how  he 
got  home.  When  he  reached  his  room,  he  was  thankful 
that  his  mother  was  not  in  the  house.  He  crawled  into 
bed,  shivering  as  if  with  the  ague. 

By  dinner  time  his  nerves  had  steadied  somewhat.  The 
night,  however,  brought  him  a  succession  of  curious  dreams 
which  added  to  the  horror  of  that  day.  In  the  first  one 
his  father  stood  before  him,  clad  in  his  uniform,  holding 
out  his  hands  pleadingly.  There  was  a  look  of  entreaty 
in  his  sad  eyes,  and  appeal  was  evident  in  every  line  of  his 
slim  figure. 

Lenny  awoke  with  a  cry,  his  body  bathed  in  perspiration. 
Then  he  lay  very  still,  unable  to  believe  that  he  had  slept, 
for  his  father's  living  presence  had  never  been  more  real 


228  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

than  this  dream  one.  But  fatigue  conquered  his  fears,  and 
he  dozed  again. 

Again  the  Captain  came,  this  time  his  head  swathed  in 
bandages — as  he  must  have  appeared  during  the  hours 
following  his  wonderful  exploit  on  the  Niagara.  He  held 
his  sword  in  his  hand,  and  his  whole  attitude  was  one  of 
command.  His  eyes  seemed  to  flash  as  he  looked  at  Lenny. 

The  latter  leaped  out  of  bed,  and  almost  with  the  same 
motion  turned  up  the  light.  He  was  struggling  for  breath, 
and  his  body  was  deathly  cold.  Despite  this,  his  mind  was 
in  a  heated,  frenzied  whirl.  He  lighted  a  cigarette  with 
shaking  fingers,  and  sought  to  steady  his  unstrung  nerves 
by  trying  to  laugh.  The  attempt  was  a  dismal  failure. 
Sleep  appeared  out  of  the  question  now;  but  after  a  time, 
Lenny  essayed  it,  with  the  light  turned  up  quite  high. 

His  father  came  yet  again.  This  time  he  looked  waxen, 
and  dead,  and  stared  at  his  son  out  of  sightless  eyes.  His 
appearance  spelled  death  so  plainly  that  the  sleeper  moaned 
and  tossed  about  to  get  out  of  range  of  the  inert  figure  and 
its  terrible  stare.  The  figure  remained  fixed  before  him, 
until  Lenny,  with  a  cry,  sprang  to  the  floor. 

He  was  thankful  for  the  light.  Afraid  of  dropping  off 
to  sleep  again,  he  limply  sought  a  chair.  Soon  he  was 
attempting  to  face  facts  as  he  had  not  faced  them  for 
some  time,  and  for  the  first  time  in  days  he  sought  to  get 
an  idea  of  what  his  gambling  had  cost  him  in  dollars  and 
cents. 

As  he  began  to  figure,  he  grew  frightened.  His  winnings 
had  dwindled,  while  his  losses  had  kept  steadily  mounting. 
Borrowing  had  been  comparatively  easy  at  first.  When  it 
did  not  supply  his  needs  fast  enough  he  had  pawned  some 
of  his  jewelry. 

Against  these  continual  losses  he  had  set  up  the  hope  of 


THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE  229 

finally  proving  a  winner  in  a  big  way.  That  his  losses 
might  be  a  reason  for  leaving  gambling  alone  did  not  enter 
his  head.  His  whole  passion  now  was  to  win  back  the  sums 
he  had  spent  at  the  card-table. 

As  he  sat  under  the  light  and  hastily  cast  up  the  long 
row  of  figures,  he  was  glad,  in  a  measure,  that  his  mother 
had  not  hurried  the  transfer  of  the  houses  to  him.  These, 
too,  might  have  been  swept  away  by  his  gambling.  He 
quailed  before  the  thought. 

"Oh,  it's  going  to  be  all  right !"  he  exclaimed.  "A  week 
of  luck  will  wipe  out  the  losses.  Then  I'll  quit !" 

The  next  moment  he  was  despondent  again.  Conny  had 
come  into  his  thoughts. 

"No,  I  mustn't  go  to  see  her,"  he  moaned.  "She  is  right 
not  to  bother  about  me  any  more.  I  don't  deserve  her 
friendship.  What  use  could  she  have  for  a  man  like  me? 
What  is  going  to  become  of  me?" 

He  felt  himself  doomed.  He  seemed  to  be  slipping  so 
fast  that  it  appeared  useless  to  put  out  a  hand  to  stop  the 
slide.  This  was  not,  of  course,  consistent  with  his  notion 
that  he  was  merely  "sowing  his  wild  oats."  But  his  mind 
had  lost  the  habit  of  following  out  regular  lines  of  thought. 
He  was  only  aware  that  he  had  thrown  compass  overboard. 
It  was  only  in  such  a  moment  as  this  that  he  allowed  him- 
Belf  to  see  the  doom  written  along  the  road  he  was 
traveling. 

In  his  despair  he  demanded,  "Why  should  mother  have 
trusted  me?  Why  doesn't  she  guess?  How  wrong  of  her 
to  have  so  much  faith !  It  isn't  because  I  lied.  She  takes 
everything  for  granted!  When  I  lost  interest  in  the 
league,  she  never  said  anything.  She  isn't  pressing  me 
about  my  law  work.  Oh,  it  is  all  wrong !  And  I  can't  tell 
her !  I  haven't  the  courage !" 


230  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

His  mind  reverted  to  the  three  dreams.  The  more  he 
dwelt  upon  them,  the  more  they  frightened  him.  He 
relived  the  visions  many  times  before  dawn  came. 

"Get  out  West !"  was  the  message  of  the  first  glimmer  of 
light. 

But  he  shook  his  head.  He  knew  that  the  West  con- 
tained numerous  gambling  hells;  and  his  smoking  would 
still  continue.  The  possibility  of  going  there  only  to  be  lost 
altogether,  appalled  him. 

He  was  overwhelmed  with  grief.  Flinging  himself  on 
the  bed,  he  buried  his  head  in  the  pillows,  and  cried  as  if 
his  heart  would  break.  Had  his  mother  entered  the  room 
at  that  moment,  he  would  have  made  a  clean  breast  of  his 
wrong-doing,  even  at  the  risk  of  losing  both  her  love  and 
respect. 

Then  he  lay  very  still,  his  body  feverish  and  aching.  He 
was  sure  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  get  up  that  morning. 
His  tired  eyes  took  in  the  last  signs  of  Indian  summer 
outside  the  windows,  and,  without  knowing  why,  he  counted 
the  few  remaining  leaves  on  one  of  the  trees.  The  sudden 
chirp  of  a  sparrow  near  the  window  was  too  much  for  his 
strained  nerves,  and  he  cried  again. 

His  eye  could  not  avoid  the  many  cigarette  stumps  on 
the  bureau.  He  cursed  them,  loudly,  madly,  and  grated 
his  teeth  at  them  like  a  wild  man.  Then  his  young  body, 
overtaxed,  surrendered  itself  to  sleep. 

With  the  breakfast  bell,  his  years  once  more  asserted 
themselves.  He  put  out  of  his  mind  the  night  of  pain,  the 
tears,  and  the  strange  dreams.  As  he  looked  into  the 
mirror  while  he  was  making  his  toilet,  he  was  at  a  loss  to 
understand  how  the  man  who  was  reflected  there  had  come 
to  feel  like  a  boy. 

"I'll  recover  all  I've  lost.     Then  I'll  chuck  the  whole 


THE  TYRANT  Itf  WHITE  231 

crowd  and  the  playing!"  he  promised  himself.  "That  will 
be  the  end  of  it !  It's  worry  that's  hammering  my 
nerves;  and  the  cigarettes  aren't  helping,  either!" 

In  his  attempt  that  week  to  win  hack  everything,  he 
found  himself  only  sinking  deeper  into  deht.  The  lines  on 
his  face  grew  more  pronounced.  He  spent  sleepless  nights 
in  endless  calculation  of  ways  out  of  his  money  tangles. 

The  need  of  money  sapped  the  remnant  of  his  will-power. 
He  pla}red  on,  frantically,  desperately,  consuming  hundreds 
of  cigarettes  as  he  hung  over  the  card-table.  More  than 
once  he  was  on  the  verge  of  confessing  everything  to  his 
mother.  But  he  shrank  from  the  ordeal.  Instead  he  kept 
up  the  lie  about  his  visits  to  the  libraries. 

One  day  he  caught  sight  of  Maur,  in  Philadelphia,  but 
by  hurried  flight  got  out  of  that  man's  way  without  being 
seen.  He  was  not  so  fortunate  on  a  second  occasion,  when 
Maur  came  up  behind  him  in  Germantown,  and  tapped  him 
on  the  shoulder,  saying  loudly  as  he  did  so,  "Ah,  I've  got 
you  at  last,  old  chap !" 

Hate  welled  into  Lenny's  heart  as  he  looked  at  the 
smiling  man,  who  was  regarding  him  with  his  head  slightly 
cocked;  and  when  the  latter  offered  his  hand,  it  was  not 
taken. 

"Glad  to  see  you,"  went  on  the  young  stock  broker 
pleasantly,  overlooking  Lenny's  refusal  to  shake  hands.  "I 
thought  you  were  going  to  hunt  me  up!  Too  busy,  eh? 
I  am  laying  off  a  bit,  just  to  rest  up.  Oh,  I  do  need  a  rest 
once  in  a  while,  so  don't  laugh  at  that !"  He  ignored  the 
fact  that  Lenny  was  not  laughing.  "I  know  it  sounds 
funny  for  a  fellow  with  my  health  to  pretend  that  he  needs 
to  lay  up  for  repairs.  It  won't  harm,  though.  My  part- 
ner— the  best  a  fellow  could  have — is  taking  care  of  things. 


233  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

We've  done  splendidly.  Say,  I'm  awfully  glad  to  see  you, 
Leonard." 

He  waited  for  the  latter  to  reply.  Finding  only  silence 
and  a  chilly  exterior  where  he  had  expected  to  be  greeted 
at  least  courteously,  he  broke  out : 

"Look  here,  if  you've  heard  anybody  say  that  I  took 
customers  away  from  my  father,  you  can  tell  them  for  me 
that  it  is  a  lie !"  The  accusation  was  news  to  Lenny,  but 
he  did  not  show  any  surprise.  "It  is  true  that  I  am  not 
living  with  my  father  now,"  went  on  Maur,  greatly  excited. 
"But  that's  because  we  never  agreed — which  is  nobody's 
affair  but  ours !  The  lies  that  the  gossips  work  up  are  rot- 
ten !  Why,  they  say  you  have  gone  to  the  bad !  What  do 
you  think  of  that,  eh?  You  ought  to  punch  somebody's 
head!  It's  a  nasty  thing  to  lay  up  to  a  fellow!  But 
they're  spreading  it,  all  right !" 

Lenny  was  stunned  by  this. 

"Why,  that's  worse  than  a  lie !"  he  cried  furiously.  "It's 
a  crooked  attempt  to  harm  me !" 

"Of  course  it  is!"  said  Maur,  in  a  very  earnest  manner. 

Neither  of  them  doubted  the  charge  against  the  other. 
The  word  of  sympathy  which  Maur  let  fall,  however,  came 
at  a  time  when  Lenny  was  starved  for  something  of  the 
kind,  even  though  he  mistrusted  its  source.  Offering  Maur 
a  cigarette,  he  lighted  a  fresh  one  himself.  His  hands, 
Maur  noted,  shook.  The  two  walked  down  the  street 
together. 

"You're  right  about  the  way  people  gossip  here,"  said 
Lenny.  "But  it's  not  easy  to  punch  everybody's  head  in  the 
hope  of  reaching  the  right  one.  I'm  too  busy  just  now  to 
worry  about  the  remarks  of  my  enemies.  I'm  preparing  to 
enter  the  offices  of  Wright  &  Simpson.  They  are  friends 


THE  TYBANT  IN  WHITE  233 

of  mother,  and  want  me  to  go  through  the  preliminaries 
with  them,  so  that  I  may  get  into  the  firm  in  time." 

Here  Maur  mentally  remarked,  "There  was  only  one 
lawyer  when  you  last  spoke  to  me.  You're  a  poor  hand  at 
lying." 

Lenny  was  relating,  "After  I  am  admitted  to  the  bar, 
I'll  go  in  for  corporation  law.  Sounds  like  brag,  I  guess. 
But  those  are  my  plans.  It  would  be  queer  if  I  were  to  be 
of  use  to  you  at  some  time,  wouldn't  it?" 

Maur  thought,  without  saying  so,  "It  would  be  queer!" 

"As  for  my  going  to  the  bad,"  went  on  Lenny,  "well, 
some  puritan  must  have  seen  me  coming  home  at  midnight. 
Which  don't  explain  why  he  was  out  at  that  hour,  eh? 
But  joking  aside,  it's  an  awful  place  for  keeping  friendships 
alive !  What  have  I  ever  done  to  deserve  this  slander  ?" 

"Oh,  I  have  known  for  a  long  time  the  sort  of  people 
we  have  here!"  said  Maur.  "Anyhow,  we've  got  some- 
thing in  common  at  last !  So  it  is  about  time  we  buried 
the  hatchet,  old  man." 

"I  am  beginning  to  feel  that  way  about  it  myself,"  re- 
plied Lenny,  his  tone  warmer  and  less  suspicious. 

Then  he  became  limp  and  nerveless  as  the  possibility  of 
getting  a  loan  from  Maur  suggested  itself.  In  order  to 
arrive  at  such  a  point  with  a  clear  conscience,  he  allowed 
all  his  hostility  towards  the  one-time  bully  to  vanish.  This 
was  easily  accomplished  after  he  had  inwardly  remarked, 
several  times,  "I  haven't  been  fair  to  him.  He  has  been 
changing  for  the  better." 

Maur  interrupted  his  talk  about  the  methods  of  Wall 
Street  to  ask: 

"Wasn't  there  considerable  property  to  come  to  you  at 
twenty-one  ?" 

"Under  dad's  will,  everything  went  to  mother,"  said 


234  THE  TYRANT  IN"  WHITE 

Lenny.  "But  she  has  decided  to  turn  some  houses  over  to 
me.  They'll  be  a  help.  There's  nothing  like  an  inde- 
pendent income." 

"No,   nothing  like  it!"  echoed  Maur. 

"And  I  need  the  additional  money,"  said  Lenny,  "al- 
though I've  been  keeping  within  limits.  A  meal  at  a  first- 
class  restaurant  is  an  item.  So  is  a  box  at  the  theater. 
And  friends  have  a  habit  of  being  short  themselves,  and 
feel  hurt  if  the  'touch'  don't  work  right.  I  haven't  joined 
any  clubs  yet;  but  that  will  be  an  additional  tax.  All  of 
which  must  be  a  bit  stale  to  you,  Bob." 

"Oh,  I  got  my  education  in  that  some  time  ago!"  Maur 
replied.  He  added  in  the  friendliest  of  tones,  "  Say,  if  you 
happen  to  be  short,  I'll  be  offended  if  you  don't  speak  out. 
I  am  plentifully  supplied  with  cash  just  now.  There's  lots 
of  it.  And  you  needn't  be  in  any  hurry  to  repay  it,  either." 

Had  Lenny  known  the  malignancy  of  spirit  which  was 
behind  the  offer,  he  would  have  struck  at  the  man  before 
him.  Instead,  his  heart  beat  loudly,  and  he  found  speech 
difficult.  When  he  averted  his  head  almost  shamefacedly, 
Maur  exclaimed : 

"It's  nonsense  for  you  to  hesitate  just  because  it's  I !  It 
isn't  fair  to  me !  You  are  mistrusting  me  again " 

"I  am  not !"  protested  Lenny. 

"I'll  take  your  word  for  it,"  said  Maur.  "As  for  being 
short,  why,  that's  liable  to  happen  to  any  man.  Of  course, 
it  didn't  happen  to  us  when  we  were  younger !"  he  added 
with  a  laugh. 

"Bob,"  said  Lenny,  his  voice  breaking,  "do  you  know 
you  oughtn't  to  think  of  doing  me  a  favor  ?  I've  harbored 
the  unfairest  notions  about  you !  Even  when  I  was  sick, 
and  you  were  so  fine  about  coming  to  see  me,  mind  you ! 
I'm  heartily  ashamed  of  myself!  I  understand  now  how 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  235 

easy  it  is  for  a  fellow  to  have  enemies  for  no  reason  at  all ! 
I  have  been  disgustingly  unfair  toward  you !" 

"What  difference  does  it  make  as  long  as  it's  all  right 
now?"  cried  Maur.  "Here — shake — and  forget  it,  old 
man !" 

They  clasped  hands  warmly.  Lenny  said,  "I  am  glad  I 
met  you  to-day !  Think  of  having  gone  around  for  months 
with  that  opinion  of  you !  It  isn't  too  late  to  get  a  thing 
like  that  right !" 

"Fortunately  not!"  replied  Maur.  "Now  that  we've 
cleared  that  up,  you  must  come  to  see  me.  I'm  staying  at 
'The  Elms.'  Hunt  me  up  any  time.  But  suppose  you  put 
your  absurd  pride  aside,  and  tell  me  if  I  can't  advance  you 
a  little  money.  Oh,  I  know  you  wouldn't  ask  for  it  after 
confessing  that  you  had  made  a  mistake  about  me !  That 
wouldn't  be  like  you !" 

He  had  stopped  near  a  turn  in  the  street,  and  had  drawn 
out  a  wallet.  Lenny's  self-control  oozed  away  when  he 
saw  the  money  it  contained. 

"Oh,  I'd  want  a  hundred  at  least,"  he  said,  trying  to 
smile.  "You  couldn't  advance  that  conveniently,  so  let's 
not  talk  about  it  any  more." 

"Why,  of  course  I  can  let  you  have  a  hundred!"  Maur 
hastened  to  assure  him.  "Or  two  hundred  if  you  needed 
it!" 

"Only  on  one  condition — that  I  give  you  an  I  0  U  for 
the  money,"  Lenny  insisted. 

"If  you  want  to  be  stubborn  about  it — certainly."  And 
Maur  handed  him  a  fountain  pen  and  one  of  his  cards,  on 
the  back  of  which  Lenny  wrote  out  his  indebtedness  in  a 
faltering  hand. 

The  hundred  dollars  was  soon  stowed  away  in  his  pocket. 
Lenny  did  not  see  the  look  of  satisfaction  which  shone  for 


236  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

an  instant  in  Maul's  eyes  as  he  put  back  the  wallet.  That 
look  declared: 

"You,  Leonard  Craigie,  have  been  delivered  into  my 
hands !" 

Lenny  said,  "I  will  repay  you  soon.  Do  you  know,  the 
odd  part  of  the  whole  thing  is  that  if  somebody  had 
told  me  I  would  meet  you  to-day,  and  would  let  you  loan 
me  a  hundred  dollars,  I  would  have  laughed  at  the  idea! 
It's  a  queer  way  for  us  to  start  out  in  our  friendship, 
isn't  it,  Bob?" 

"As  good  as  any!"  said  the  latter.  "Why  not?  But 
let's  not  speak  of  it  any  more.  You're  to  come  and  see  me 
soon.  Mind  you,  no  excuses !" 

They  shook  hands  again,  and  separated.  Lenny  looked 
after  the  retreating  figure  with  a  feeling  of  wonder  for  the 
way  in  which  a  few  moments  had  cleared  up  years  of  mis- 
understanding. Suddenly  a  shadow  of  misgiving  fell 
athwart  his  satisfaction.  His  head  went  back  with  distrust. 
But  he  checked  himself,  and  protested : 

"There's  my  unfairness  again!  I'm  vile!  It's  only 
prejudice  and  stubbornness!  I've  always  believed  the 
worst  of  him — because  of  the  ease  with  which  he  always  got 
things,  I  suppose.  As  if  that  should  make  any  difference ! 
JN"o,  I've  never  taken  the  right  view  of  him !" 

Another  fact  stood  out  as  an  important  outcome  of  this 
meeting : 

"You  have  some  money  now.  You  may  use  part  of  it 
to  redeem  the  articles  you  have  pawned." 

He  knew  that  it  would  only  be  a  matter  of  a  few  days 
before  his  mother  would  note  the  absence  of  his  watch,  his 
rings,  his  scarfpins,  his  silver-backed  brushes,  and  other 
personal  belongings  of  value.  "A  few  of  these  must  come 
back  at  once,"  he  decided. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  237 

Then  he  grieved  at  the  readiness  with  which  he  had 
accepted  the  loan  from  Maur. 

"But  didn't  Bob  himself  say  I  wouldn't  have  borrowed 
the  money  unless  I  honestly  believed  in  our  friendship  ?" 
he  sought  to  override  his  sensitiveness. 

Greatly  wearied  by  this  questioning,  he  put  his  pride 
aside,  and  made  ready  to  go  into  town  to  recover  some  of 
the  pawned  valuables.  On  the  journey  thither,  he  deducted 
twenty  dollars,  which  were  to  be  used  the  next  day  at  the 
gaming  table  in  the  attempt  to  bring  a  change  of  luck. 

Maur  had  guessed  as  much,  and  his  afternoon  was  one 
of  amusement  and  great  happiness. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  intend  to  stand  in  the  way  of  our  good  boy's 
bad  habits!"  he  gloated.  "If  a  few  hundred  dollars  will 
hasten  his  slide  to  the  bottom,  so  much  the  better.  He  was 
destined  for  it,  anyhow.  And  the  sooner  he  is  found  out, 
the  better.  Conny  will  be  able  to  make  comparisons  be- 
tween me  and  him  when  the  explosion  takes  place,  and 
her  saint  is  proved  to  be  a  very  ordinary  mortal  with  sev- 
eral ugly  vices." 

He  realized  that  to  escape  being  charged  with  hastening 
Lenny's  downfall  he  would  have  to  move  carefully. 

"I  will  always  be  able  to  say  that  I  wanted  to  help  him," 
he  reflected.  "The  date  of  my  I  0  U  will  prove  that  I 
loaned  him  the  money  after  he  had  started  on  his  downward 
career." 

He  wondered,  "Does  he  use  'dope'?  His  mother's  affec- 
tion is  a  pretty  dangerous  thing  when  it  shuts  its  eyes  to 
his  condition  !  What  a  chalk-face !  Trembling  hands,  un- 
steady jaw — How  the  world  does  move  in  a  few  years! 
And  in  a  few  more — who  can  tell?  If  he  made  some  in- 
excusable mistake,  Conny  would  never  forgive  herself  for 
believing  in  him.  From  the  looks  of  things,  he  ought  to 


238  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

turn  up  for  a  loan,  in  about  a  week  or  so.  No  one  ever 
said  Robert  Maur  wasn't  a  good  waiter.  And  I  can  now 
patiently  watch  the  tobogganing  of  Mr.  Leonard  Craigie  to 
disgrace." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Within  two  weeks  Lenny  went  to  "The  Elms."  The 
beggar  was  in  his  eye  and  bearing;  but  in  the  shadows 
cast  by  the  pretty  hoods  of  Maur's  electric  lamps,  he  looked 
the  Leonard  Craigie  of  old. 

Maur  pushed  a  comfortable  chair  toward  him,  and  passed 
him  cigarettes,  which  were  somewhat  better  than  the  brands 
Lenny  had  been  using  of  late  in  his  attempts  to  economize. 
The  odor  of  the  expensive  cigarettes,  the  warmth,  cosiness, 
and  luxury  of  his  surroundings,  sapped  the  last  vestiges  of 
his  power  of  resistance.  Maur,  in  his  feeling  of  mastery, 
was  ready  to  play  with  him  as  a  cat  plays  with  a  mouse.  If 
Maur  had  been  asked  why  he  was  devoid  of  pity,  he  would 
not  have  spoken  of  revenge.  He  would  have  said  that  it 
gave  him  pleasure  to  mock  at  a  failure. 

Remembering  their  school  day  feuds  and  Lenny's  pride, 
Maur  was  tempted  to  laugh  in  his  face.  He  could  not  as- 
sume the  cordiality  which  he  had  shown  on  their  last  meet- 
ing. Instead  his  attitude  was  one  of  superiority. 

"Your  health  doesn't  seem  to  be  at  the  best,"  he  said. 

"That's  a  matter  of  inheritance,"  Lenny  replied.  "There 
may  be  a  whole  lot  in  a  fellow,  Bob,  that  will  be  against 
his  getting  things  for  himself.  In  fact,  I've  been  up  against 
it  from  the  start.  You  know  I'm  not  a  quitter.  But,  to 
use  an  athletic  term,  I  don't  seem  to  get  second  wind  when 


240  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

I  need  it.    You  see  what  I  mean,  don't  you?    You  don't 

know  how  much  I  have  been  thinking  about  my  own  case !" 

"You  ought  to  have  left  law  alone.  You're  clever  enough 

to  have  turned  your  hand  to  something  else,"  Maur  sug- 


Lenny's  reply,  after  the  way  he  had  boasted  on  their  last 
meeting  about  his  intention  of  doing  corporation  law,  made 
Maur  chuckle  inwardly. 

"Well,  I  may  go  in  for  writing,"  Lenny  said.  "But 
there  is  plenty  of  time.  I  am  not  looking  too  far  ahead. 
And  I'm  not  such  a  believer  in  haste  as  I  used  to  be." 

Silence  followed.  Maur  was  studying  his  visitor,  and 
was  now  able  to  discern  the  havoc  the  few  years  had  worked 
with  Lenny. 

"You  haven't  been  worrying  about  that  small  sum?" 
he  suddenly  asked. 

"Well,  I  tried  not  to,  Bob,"  returned  Lenny.  "I've  been 
pulling  along  pretty  well,  but  I  haven't  a  surplus  yet  out 
of  which  to  pay  you  back.  That's  what  I  came  to  tell  you. 
I'm  very  sorry.  I  thought  I'd  have  my  debt  squared  up 
by  now." 

"What's  the  difference?"  Maur  said  with  a  careless  wave 
of  the  hand.  "What  do  you  say  to  a  little  brandy?  I've 
got  a  bottle  that  would  make  a  king  sit  up  and  take  notice. 
How  about  a  thimbleful  ?  It's  awfully  good !" 

Lenny  was  equal  to  a  considerable  number  of  thimbles- 
ful,  and  as  he  sipped  the  liquor,  he  talked.  He  boasted  of 
the  number  of  politicians  he  knew.  He  displayed  his  re- 
cently-acquired knowledge  of  the  world.  He  dwelt  at  con- 
siderable length  on  his  plans  for  the  future.  The  more  he 
drank  the  more  he  talked,  with  a  tendency  to  jumble  words, 
and  to  contradict  himself. 

At  an  unexpected  moment  he  grew  melancholy.     He  was 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  241 

soon  telling  of  days  spent  in  fearful  worry  about  money. 
Before  long  he  was  asking  for  another  loan — not  at  all  with 
the  pride  which  had  marked  his  first  request  some  two 
weeks  previous. 

"I  can  give  you  another  hundred,"  said  Maur,  almost  in- 
clined, in  his  disgust,  to  refuse  him  the  money,  and  tempted 
to  bring  the  interview  to  a  sudden  finish. 

But  instead  of  putting  Lenny  out  of  the  rooms,  he  pre- 
ferred to  continue  toying  with  him.  The  visitor  almost 
wept  his  thanks  when  a  check  was  extended  to  him.  In 
using  bank  paper  instead  of  currency  Maur  had  a  purpose 
in  view.  He  wanted  a  proof  of  Lenny's  borrowings  which 
would  be  more  dignified  than  I  0  TJ's,  and  the  checks  which 
the  bank  would  return  to  him  after  paying  Lenny  would 
serve  this  purpose. 

For  an  instant  he  was  on  the  verge  of  asking,  "What 
would  your  mother  think  of  this?  What  would  Conny 
say?"  But  mentally  calling  himself  a  fool,  Maur  refused 
to  cut  short  an  incident  which  was  giving  him  so  much 
pleasure.  He  was  also  inclined  to  remember  Lenny's  tem- 
per, the  only  quality  in  that  man  which  he  respected. 

When  he  finally  got  rid  of  his  visitor,  he  laughed  heartily 
at  the  amusement  which  Lenny  had  furnished  him. 

A  few  days  later  he  received  a  letter  from  Lenny  asking 
for  another  loan,  which  he  granted,  at  the  same  time  care- 
fully filing  the  letter.  The  request  was  not  worded  as 
humbly  as  Maur  might  have  desired,  but  he  overlooked  this. 
The  next  two  letters,  which  followed  closely  on  the  heels  of 
the  first,  were  more  to  his  liking,  however.  They  seemed 
to  be  written  in  a  spirit  of  despair. 

He  was  now  sure  that  Lenny  was  gambling,  and  on  a 
scale  which  could  only  terminate  in  disaster.  With  a  hy- 


243  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

pocrisy  which  surprised  even  himself,  he  wrote  Lenny  as 
follows  in  answer  to  a  fourth  begging  letter : 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND — 

I  have  been  giving  considerable  thought  to  this  new  re- 
quest for  a  loan.  It  made  me  pause  in  my  desire  to  extend 
a  helping  hand  to  you,  because  I  cannot  understand  what 
use  you  can  be  making  of  the  money. 

I  don't  mind  a  fellow  going  the  pace  somewhat;  but  you, 
my  dear  Lenny,  seem  to  be  doing  it  at  breakneck  speed— if 
you  will  allow  a  friend  to  be  frank  with  you. 

Now  don't  you  think  it  was  time  you  slowed  up?  You 
ought  to! 

As  one  who  wishes  you  well,  I  am  going  to  refuse  your 
request.  If  I  can  be  of  help  in  any  other  way,  just  say  the 
word. 

Try  to  be  fair  about  my  turning  you  down.     Look  upon 
it  as  an  exhibition  of  friendship  by  one  who  signs  himself, 
Yours  most  devotedly, 

BOB. 

"For  if  there  is  going  to  be  a  big  blow-up,  I  don't  want 
to  appear  too  mixed  up  in  his  affairs,"  Maur  said,  as  he 
signed  the  letter  he  had  dictated  to  his  stenographer.  "It 
is  time  for  me  to  stand  from  under." 

The  letter  of  refusal  proved  less  of  a  blow  to  Lenny 
than  Maur  had  expected  it  would.  In  fact,  the  appeal  for 
money  had  been  written  half-heartedly.  Lenny  had  turned 
to  a  new  source  of  funds — his  mother's  jewel  box. 

When  the  idea  of  going  to  it  first  presented  itself  to  him, 
after  he  had  searched  among  his  own  remaining  things  for 
something  to  pawn,  he  stood  paralyzed  with  fear,  bathed  in 
a  cold  sweat.  The  horror  of  even  giving  it  a  thought  was 
sufficient  to  keep  him  from  cards  that  day. 

By  evening  cigarettes  played  their  customary  part  in 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  243 

smoking  out  this  display  of  will-power.  Night  brought 
a  complete  surrender.  He  eased  his  conscience  by  deciding 
that  after  he  secured  the  key  of  the  strong  box  containing 
the  jewel-case,  he  would  take  only  a  few  of  his  mother's  val- 
uables. Then  he  would  win  back  enough  money  not  only 
to  redeem  these  jewels,  but  to  clear  himself  entirely  of  debt. 
And  he  would  at  the  same  time  escape  depending  upon 
Maur  for  help. 

"Suppose  you  lose  the  money  you  get  by  pawning  the 
jewels?"  beat  through  his  brain. 

He  refused  to  consider  the  possibility  of  this,  and  his 
weary  mind  had  no  difficulty  in  shutting  out  the  thought 
of  failure.  Duty,  consideration,  affection,  hope,  ambition, 
fear,  and  even  despair,  had  vanished.  His  brain  occupied 
itself  with  combinations  of  cards  which  would  win  against 
all  other  hands.  It  did  not  occupy  itself  for  any  length 
of  time  with  anything  else.  The  world  had  become  a 
cigarette-fumed  place,  in  which  all  his  actions  looked  rea- 
sonable, and  did  not  matter.  There  seemed  to  be  nothing 
ridiculous  in  setting  straight  a  wrong  by  another  wrong. 
In  the  maze  in  which  he  found  himself,  every  turn  ap- 
peared to  be  a  path.  When  lucid  moments  came  in  these 
hours  of  degradation,  he  staved  everything  off  with  the 
remark : 

"Things  will  all  come  right  soon!" 

His  face  masked  itself  with  a  smile  when  he  saw  his 
mother  off  for  her  shopping  trip  to  Philadelphia  on  the 
eventful  morning.  Mrs.  Mulholland,  of  course,  went  also. 
So  the  coast  was  clear  for  his  visit  to  the  strong  box.  But 
when  the  abstraction  of  a  few  valuable  rings  had  been  ac- 
complished, he  hardly  had  sufficient  strength  to  drag  him- 
self back  to  his  room. 

He  pawned  the  rings  at  various  places  in  order  not  to 


244  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

arouse  suspicion,  and  took  care  to  be  carefully  attired,  for 
the  same  reason.  During  the  week  which  followed,  his 
manner  about  the  house  was  very  subdued.  The  week  saw 
the  complete  loss  of  the  money  he  had  borrowed  on  the 
rings. 

He  had  counted  upon  his  mother's  dislike  of  show  to 
keep  the  theft  from  being  discovered.  Unless  some  affair 
of  importance  broke  in  upon  her  lonely  existence,  she  would 
not  make  any  visits  to  her  jewel  box.  So  Lenny  used  the 
key  again  and  again. 

There  came  a  time,  however,  when  he  looked  at  the  gap 
he  had  created  in  the  box  and  fell  in  a  faint  to  the  floor. 
He  lay  unconscious  for  many  minutes. 

As  he  stumbled  to  his  feet  at  last,  he  had  enough  pres- 
ence of  mind  to  turn  the  key  in  the  box.  He  shambled 
back  to  his  room,  and  bathed  his  head  in  cold  water.  Some 
whisky  helped  to  restore  the  circulation  in  his  numbed 
body.  Then  he  locked  himself  in,  and,  flinging  himself 
on  the  bed,  tried  to  think. 

"No!  No!  No  more!"  he  whispered  with  chattering 
teeth,  as  he  contemplated  the  chance  of  getting  money  by 
pitting  more  jewelry  against  his  ill-luck  at  cards. 

He  snatched  at  the  idea  of  making  some  use  of  the  houses 
which  were  certain  to  be  transferred  to  him  as  a  Christmas 
gift.  At  once  this  means  of  redeeming  the  pawned  articles 
engaged  his  fevered  mind.  It  was  true  that  either  the  sale 
or  mortgage  of  these  houses  would  be  impossible,  because 
the  agent  acting  for  his  mother  would  be  likely  to  remain 
in  charge  of  them.  But  there  was  a  loophole.  He  could 
go  to  the  so-called  "loan-sharks"  who  advanced  money  at 
high  rates  of  interest.  These  might  be  induced  to  act  in 
secrecy. 

"If  only  mother  does  not  have  occasion  to  go  to  her 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  245 

jewel  box!"  he  groaned,  appalled  as  he  saw  in  imagination 
her  discovery  of  the  theft. 

For  the  first  time  since  his  father  had  appeared  to  him 
in  the  succession  of  strange  dreams,  he  screwed  up  enough 
courage  to  count  up  his  debts.  When  he  had  finished  add- 
ing the  sums  on  his  pawn  tickets,  and  the  interest  which 
they  represented,  he  fell  to  pacing  the  room  like  a  mad- 
man. He  owed  over  nineteen  hundred  dollars.  Later 
he  remembered  his  debts  to  a  host  of  card-playing  acquaint- 
ances who  were  beginning  to  clamor  for  their  money. 

"My  God!"  he  moaned.  "What  is  going  to  become  of 
me?" 

To  face  his  mother  with  the  story  of  his  day-by-day  lies, 
his  card-playing,  and  his  thieving,  would  be  to  destroy  for 
all  time  her  faith  in  him,  if  the  blow  would  not  completely 
wreck  her  life.  Her  forgiveness  would  be  a  mockery  under 
the  circumstances.  He  felt  that  after  his  confession  he 
would  have  to  go  away  and  never  see  her  again. 

"It's  too  late  to  tell  her,  anyhow  !"  he  cried.  The  shame 
it  would  bring  rose  up  before  him  with  crushing  effect. 
"Wouldn't  it  be  better  to  die  and  end  it  all?"  he  asked. 
But  he  put  that  thought  aside  with  a  desperate  cry  of  "No ! 
No!" 

"I  have  a  month  before  the  houses  will  be  turned  over 
to  me,"  he  told  himself.  "In  that  time  I  can  get  some 
money  together — even  from  mother.  I  will  have  to  buy 
Christmas  gifts.  I'll  let  her  see  the  gifts,  then  I'll  return 
them  to  the  stores,  and  recover  the  money.  It  may  not  be 
much,  but  everything  will  help.  I'll  have  to  see  Justin — 
and  Colonel  Henderson.  This  is  no  time  to  be  proud.  Oh, 
I  must  find  a  way !  She  won't  need  her  jewelry  for  a 
long  time !  There's  a  chance !" 

He  walked  about,  smoking  with  nervous  fury,  his  brain 


24«  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

a  tangle  of  figures.  For  several  minutes  he  contemplated 
flight  from  the  city,  that  he  might  not  have  to  enter  on  any 
explanations  should  his  mother  discover  her  loss.  This 
plan  suggested  another.  He  would  work  up  a  clever  rob- 
bery scene  to  account  for  the  disappearance  of  the  jewels, 
in  which  he  would  inflict  some  severe  hurt  upon  himself,  to 
pretend  an  encounter  with  an  imaginary  thief. 

It  appeared  feasible,  until  he  remembered : 

"The  pawn-shops  would  give  me  away !  They  would  be 
able  to  describe  me  as  the  thief !"  He  added,  "  Maur  would 
guess  the  same  thing.  And  mother  might,  after  all,  not 
believe  me.  My  story  would  be  sure  to  break  down  at  some 
point.  Mother  might  see  some  connection  between  the  lost 
jewelry  and  my  irregular  life." 

Mistrusting  himself  he  could  not  believe  otherwise  than 
that  she  should  mistrust  him.  He  could  not  realize  that 
her  faith  in  him  which  had  prompted  her  to  allow  him  to 
do  as  he  wished  all  through  the  fall,  and  which  never  asked 
for  explanations,  would  blind  her  to  graver  things. 

He  fled  from  the  house  before  she  returned,  that  he 
might  not  face  her  in  his  present  frame  of  mind.  The  late 
afternoon  was  cheery  and  smiling.  His  way,  unintention- 
ally, led  him  near  the  Breen  home.  Already  lights  were 
appearing  in  its  windows. 

Lenny  slackened  his  pace,  tremulous  with  the  longing  to 
go  in.  What  would  not  a  ring  of  the  bell  bring?  Conny 
would  be  wildly  happy.  Her  uncle's  greeting  would  be 
warm.  Gertrude  would  hasten  to  make  him  feel  at  home. 
And  Justin  might  be  there  to  slap  him  on  the  shoulder, 
and  to  gossip  about  interesting  law  cases. 

"Oh,  I  don't  belong  there  any  more!"  Lenny  cried. 
"They  are  out  of  my  life!  What  would  they  say  if  they 
knew?" 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  247 

He  could  have  prayed  in  his  despair.  His  awful  loneli- 
ness awed  him.  It  was  as  if  prison  walls  penned  him  in. 
At  last  he  stumbled  on  down  the  road.  He  was  forced  to 
throw  back  his  head  to  fight  the  threatening  tears. 

"No,  nothing  will  come  right  any  more,"  he  said. 
"Nothing !  It  is  too  late !" 

He  returned  home  in  time  to  find  his  mother  just  in 
from  her  shopping,  sitting  under  the  hall-light  in  her 
wraps,  reading  a  letter  with  evident  delight.  He  could  not 
help  noting  her  almost  girlish  beauty ;  but  he  was  too  sick 
at  heart  to  comment  upon  it.  She  looked  up  and  said : 

"I've  got  some  news  for  you.  But  let  us  keep  it  for  the 
dinner-table.  It  is  such  good  news !" 

Reaching  his  room,  Lenny  bathed  his  head  with  cold 
water  to  ward  off  a  threatening  headache.  His  stomach 
was  nauseous.  He  had  a  craving  for  some  odd  strong 
drink,  unlike  anything  with  which  he  was  acquainted.  At 
table  he  talked,  in  a  lying  strain,  of  his  doings  during  the 
day.  Finally  he  expressed  himself  as  curious  about  the 
letter  his  mother  had  received. 

"You  and  I  are  to  take  a  holiday,  dear,"  she  said,  "a 
whole  week  in  Boston.  Have  you  any  recollection  of  Mrs. 
Trowbridge  to  whom  I  took  you  when  you  were  a  little 
fellow?  She  is  so  eager  to  have  us.  I  will  have  to  see 
whether  you  don't  need  some  new  clothes.  You  and  I  will 
shine,  won't  we,  dear  ?  I'll  wear  all  my  finery.  We've  got 
a  week  in  which  to  prepare.  A  holiday  with  that  dear 
woman !  You  will  like  her.  We  must  begin  to  get  ready 
at  once." 

Here  Mrs.  Mulholland  broke  in. 

"Thank  goodness!"  she  said.  "For  the  first  time  in 
years,  we'll  have  a  chance  to  show  that  we're  as  good  as  the 
best!" 


248  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

"I  don't  think  I  want  to  go,"  Lenny  made  the  startling 
announcement.  His  forehead  was  damp  with  perspiration. 
"I  was  counting  on  putting  the  final  touches  to  my  book 
next  week.  And  I'm  so  full  of  the  subject  that  I  can't 
think  of  being  distracted." 

"The  book  can  surely  wait,  dear,"  said  his  mother. 
"Why,  we  can  use  part  of  that  week  to  talk  about  it!  You 
won't  be  distracted,  I'm  sure.  You  must  get  away  from  the 
lonely  existence  you  have  been  leading  lately.  You  have 
been  living  within  yourself.  Haven't  I  seen  it?  Why,  I 
know  you  are  lonely !  So  let  us  have  our  holiday !  You 
and  I !" 

Lenny  held  out  a  little  longer.  Then  he  abruptly  gave 
his  consent.  There  appeared  to  be  little  use  in  doing  any- 
thing else. 

"Are  you  not  glad  to  go  with  me?"  asked  his  mother, 
nonplussed  by  his  lack  of  interest. 

"Why,  of  course,  mamsy!"  he  replied.  "But  I  didn't 
like  the  idea  of  the  fuss  it  involved.  If  we  hadn't  to  think 
about  clothes,  or  be  watching  our  p's  and  q's — Oh,  I  like 
the  freedom  of  our  own  home !  We  should  have  done  the 
inviting.  A  Christmas  here  is  worth  two  in  Boston !"  he 
finished  with  a  little  gay  air,  which  was  close  to  tears,  nev- 
ertheless. 

"I  promise  you,  you  shall  be  spoiled  by  the  good  time 
you  will  have !"  said  his  mother. 

"As  if  anyone  could  spoil  me  after  the  way  you  have 
been  at  it !"  he  told  her. 

These  words,  innocent  enough  at  that  moment,  were  to 
remain  in  his  mother's  memory  as  long  as  she  lived. 

"Anyhow,"  she  remonstrated,  with  a  sudden  display  of 
spirit,  "it  is  out  of  the  question  for  you  to  talk  about  work- 
ing on  your  book  during  the  holidays,  whether  at  home  or 


THE  TYEANT  IN"  WHITE  249 

anywhere  else !  Does  that  sound  like  a  free  rein  ?"  she 
asked,  breaking  into  a  smile. 

Lenny  tried  to  drink  some  water,  only  to  spill  part  of 
the  glass  on  the  table.  He  complained  because  the  maid 
had  filled  it  to  the  brim. 

"You  are  not  yourself  to-night,  dear,"  said  his  mother. 

He  apologized  at  once  for  his  display  of  temper.  When 
his  mother  dwelt  at  some  length  on  her  plans  for  their  Bos- 
ton trip,  he  listened  in  a  dazed  manner,  and  answered  in 
monosyllables. 

After  the  meal,  he  got  away  from  the  table  as  quickly 
as  good  manners  would  allow.  Vertigo  seized  him  on  the 
stairs.  Only  by  a  severe  effort  did  he  maintain  his  hold 
on  the  bannister,  and,  after  rocking  dizzily  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, managed  to  make  his  way  to  his  room. 

There  he  laughed  hysterically,  and  fell  to  wringing  his 
hands.  The  room  seemed  to  be  spinning  around  him.  He 
had  to  walk  about  quickly  to  suppress  the  desire  to  scream. 
At  last  he  rolled  himself  into  the  bedclothes,  and,  covering 
his  head,  writhed  about. 

The  physical  torture  lasted  for  a  long  time,  until  it  com- 
pletely sapped  his  strength.  Then  came  a  period  of  quiet, 
in  which  he  was  able  to  think. 

The  net  result  was  a  letter  to  Maur.  Lenny  begged  for 
an  appointment,  "to  discuss  business."  Then  he  went  to 
the  library  and  secured  one  of  his  father's  revolvers,  which 
he  inspected  with  some  care.  After  this  he  paced  the  room 
like  a  caged  animal,  smoking  a  chain  of  cigarettes.  He 
finally  resigned  his  attempt  to  see  a  way  out  of  the  diffi- 
culty, and  left  everything  to  the  interview  with  Maur,  too 
tired  to  consider  what  that  man's  refusal  would  mean. 

Throwing  a  window  open  to  let  out  the  smoke,  he  re- 


250  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

mained  staring  into  the  night,  the  cold  air  a  balm  to  his 
throbbing  forehead. 

"Oh,  if  I  could  only  have  my  start  over  again !"  he  cried, 
extending  his  arms  with  a  gesture  of  passionate  appeal. 

Without  knowing  why,  he  began  to  consider  how  he 
would  act  were  a  new  opportunity  to  be  granted  him.  He 
broke  off  to  say: 

"If  I  get  the  money  from  Maur,  I  am  saved!  Then 
good-bye  to  card-playing !  Good-bye  to  that  crowd !  Good- 
bye to  cigarettes !  to  idleness !  to  lying !  I'll  get  to  work, 
and  make  something  of  myself !" 

He  questioned  whether  a  letter  to  Maur  was  wiser  than 
a  personal  visit. 

"Oh,  I  can  write  better  than  I  can  talk!  And,  anyhow, 
it  is  more  dignified  to  go  about  it  as  if  I  was  not  in  a 
hurry,"  he  decided. 

Sleep  was  kind  that  night.  But  he  awoke  at  dawn  with 
a  loud  cry. 

During  the  morning,  he  watched  with  straining  eyes  for 
the  visits  of  the  postman.  He  was  waiting  for  word  from 
Maur,  who  must  have  received  his  letter  at  The  Elms  in 
the  first  delivery  of  mail. 

As  hour  after  hour  went  by,  Lenny  began  to  prepare  for 
no  answer  at  all.  "I  can't  escape !  I  must  prepare  for  the 
consequences !"  he  said  dully. 

But  toward  evening,  the  letter  arrived.  As  he  opened  it, 
he  tried  to  keep  his  shaking  fingers  from  tearing  the  en- 
velope. Maur  wrote: 

"You  will  find  me  at  the  Lotus  Club,  in  the  reading- 
room,  to-morrow  afternoon  at  five.  I  hope  your  business  is 
not  serious,  for  I  am  getting  in  the  habit  of  leaving  my 
cares  behind  me  when  I  step  out  of  my  office." 

The  sting  of  the  letter  did  not  altogether  lie  in  the  last 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  251 

words.  Manr  seemed  to  have  chosen  the  Lotus  Club  because 
Lenny  had  been  eager  to  join  that  organization.  Only  the 
latter's  unsocial  life  had  kept  him  out  of  this  exclusive 
club.  At  one  time  he  had  spoken  to  Justin  of  seeking  ad- 
mission to  it.  But  Justin,  who  was  a  member,  had  hinted 
that  unless  Lenny  went  out  of  the  way  to  make  himself 
more  popular,  he  would  be  blackballed.  Therefore,  noth- 
ing but  his  desperate  need  of  Maur's  help  could  force  him 
to  enter  the  club-house. 

That  evening  he  went  to  the  theatre,  although  a  prey  at 
every  moment  to  the  thought  that  on  his  return  he  would 
find  his  mother  over  the  depleted  jewel-box.  He  was  be- 
ginning to  blame  her  sorely  for  leaving  temptation  in  his 
way,  instead  of  depositing  the  jewelry  in  the  vaults  of  some 
bank. 

After  the  play,  he  drank  heavily,  until  he  was  keyed 
up  to  face  any  scene.  The  house  proved  perfectly  quiet. 
Next  morning,  however,  on  his  descent  to  breakfast,  he  car- 
ried the  revolver  in  his  pocket,  fearful  of  what  the  day 
might  bring.  In  his  frame  of  mind,  death  was  the  least 
terrible  thing  of  all. 

He  was  startled  to  find  his  mother  distressed.  The  cause 
of  her  anxiety  affected  him  greatly.  The  figure  of  his 
father  had  appeared  to  her  in  her  sleep,  first  with  his  hands 
covering  his  face,  and  then  as  he  had  presented  himself  to 
Lenny  in  the  third  vision  of  his  terrible  series  of  dreams. 

"I  have  never  been  so  frightened!"  said  Mrs.  Craigie. 
"It  seemed  like  an  ill-omen !  I  cannot  attribute  it  to  ner- 
vousness, for  I  have  been  feeling  very  well." 

Lenny  tried  to  soothe  her,  although  he  was  himself  under 
the  spell  of  the  strange  occurrence.  He  felt  as  if  death  had 
laid  its  hand  upon  his  heart.  Hurriedly  changing  the  con- 
versation, he  spoke  of  spending  the  whole  day  in  town. 


252  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

Instead,  when  he  left  the  house,  he  wandered  out  to  the 
winding  paths  of  Wissahickon,  where  only  an  occasional 
automobile  or  carriage  disturbed  the  silence  of  the  snow- 
clad  park.  A  two  hours'  rambling  talk  with  a  guard 
whom  he  met  helped  to  while  away  some  of  the  time  which 
must  elapse  until  his  meeting  with  Maur.  As  he  finally 
went  to  keep  the  appointment,  the  fact  that  he  had  taken 
neither  food  nor  rest  since  morning  did  not  trouble  him. 
He  only  knew  that  he  had  passed  through  the  longest  day 
of  his  existence. 

Just  before  he  reached  the  street  where  the  Lotus  Club 
was  situated  he  sought  a  telephone  to  call  up  his  home. 

"If  mother  has  found  out  that  her  jewelry  is  gone,  I 
won't  have  to  keep  the  appointment,"  he  said  grimly. 

She  happened  to  be  near  the  telephone  when  he  called. 

"I  just  wanted  to  know,  mother,"  he  said,  "if  you  had 
gotten  over  that  scare  about  your  dream.  It  would  be 
wrong  if  you  worried." 

"I  have  tried  to  put  it  out  of  my  mind,"  was  the  reply. 
"You  will  be  home  for  dinner,  won't  you?" 

"I  think  so.  I'm  doing  some  tall  hustling,  so  that  my 
book  may  be  in  shape  before  we  get  away." 

"Your  foolish  conscience  again,  I  see!"  his  mother 
scolded.  Then  she  told  him,  "The  girl  said  to-day  that 
your  brushes  haven't  been  on  your  bureau  for  some  time. 
What  are  you  having  done  to  them  ?" 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  they  were  being  fixed  up?"  he  asked, 
pretending  surprise.  "I  suppose  you  thought  they  were 
stolen !" 

"No;  or  I  would  have  looked  to  see  if  anything  else  had 
been  taken,"  said  his  mother. 

"Well,  you  have  a  fool  girl  there !  She  should  have  told 
you  the  first  time  she  saw  the  brushes  were  missing," 


THE  TYRANT  IN"  WHITE  253 

Lenny  discovered  a  grievance,  to  hide  his  relief  at  the  ease 
with  which  he  had  escaped  discovery. 

"Don't  shift  the  blame!"  came  with  a  laugh  over  the 
wire.  "It  was  you  who  should  have  told  me !" 

Lenny  wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead  when  he 
hung  up  the  receiver.  As  he  walked  up  the  stairs  of  the 
Lotus  Club,  he  murmured : 

"Wouldn't  it  be  my  confounded  luck  to  find  Justin  here ! 
I  wouldn't  know  how  to  explain  my  interview  with  Maur." 

No  one  was  in  the  reading-room  when  he  entered.  He 
still  had  a  quarter  of  an  hour  until  Maur  would  put  in 
appearance,  so  he  tried  to  interest  himself  in  some  comic 
journals.  Wearied  in  spirit  and  body,  sick  at  heart,  and 
with,  fever  burning  his  frame,  he  could  only  crouch  in  his 
seat  in  a  dazed  manner.  Suddenly  some  one  touched  him 
on  the  arm. 

The  effect  was  electrical.  His  whole  body  seemed  to  re- 
spond. The  tremor  which  shook  him  amused  Maur,  who 
eyed  him  critically,  with  a  smile  on  his  lips.  The  young 
stockbroker  was  attired  like  a  dandy.  His  self-satisfied 
carriage  went  with  a  proud  tilt  of  the  head.  Before  him 
Lenny  felt  subdued,  and  very  inferior,  and  showed  his 
servility  in  his  manner. 

"We  won't  be  disturbed,  I  think,"  said  Maur,  conde- 
scendingly. "No  one  is  at  the  club  at  this  time  of  the 
day.  I  can  give  you  twenty  minutes." 

"Thanks,"  Lenny  got  out  hurriedly. 

He  followed  Maur  up  the  staircase  to  the  next  floor. 
Coming  upon  an  empty  room,  they  paused,  and  Maur 
nodded.  When  they  found  seats,  Lenny  said : 

"I  will  be  very  brief." 

"If  you  please.  I  have  an  engagement  for  dinner," 
came  with  brutal  carelessness. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Although  Maur's  financial  success  in  after  years  made 
his  early  career  of  small  importance  to  him,  he  was  never 
to  forget  this  meeting  with  Lenny.  There  was  to  be  im- 
printed upon  his  memory  for  all  time  the  figure  huddled  in 
the  chair  opposite  him,  the  blanched  trembling  lips  and 
the  frightened  eyes  staring  ghastly  out  of  a  white  face. 

Lenny  began  by  speaking  of  the  houses  which  were  to 
be  deeded  to  him  as  a  Christmas  gift.  Finally  he  blurted 
out  that  he  needed  two  thousand  dollars,  to  make  good  a 
number  of  debts  contracted  through  stock-gambling.  He 
said  that  he  had  to  have  the  money  at  once. 

"Will  you  advance  me  that  sum  on  a  promissory  note?" 
he  asked. 

Instead  of  replying  directly  to  the  question,  Maur  asked 
about  the  stock  which  had  brought  Lenny  to  grief.  The 
latter  stood  the  cross-examination  quite  well  as  a  result 
of  the  knowledge  he  had  gleaned  from  his  visits  to  the 
bucket-shop.  He  fell  through  badly,  however,  when  he 
gave  the  name  of  the  firm  with  which  he  claimed  he  had 
dealt. 

"Those  people  went  to  the  wall  four  months  ago,"  said 
Maur  very  deliberately.  "  I  suppose  that  is  the  reason  their 
name  happened  to  stick  in  your  memory.  I  don't  know 
what  to  believe  now,  Leonard.  Why  should  I  take  it  for 
granted  that  you  are  to  get  the  houses,  after  this  invention 
about  the  stock-gambling?  I  can't  risk  two  thousand  dol- 
254 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  255 

lars.  Suppose  we  leave  the  matter  until  you  do  come  into 
your  property.  That's  fair  enough!  And  then  I'll  ad- 
vance you  the  money  on  the  quiet.  I  promise  to,  my  dear 
fellow!  So  that's  settled.  Eh?" 

Lenny  was  livid  with  rage. 

"You're  too  fast  about  calling  me  a  liar!"  he  cried. 

"If  I  was  wrong,"  said  Maur  composedly,  "I  beg  your 
pardon.  More  than  that,  if  you  can  prove  that  you  act- 
ually lost  two  thousand  dollars  on  stocks,  I'll  not  only  lend 
you  the  money — I'll  give  it  to  you !  That's  the  way  I  in- 
tend to  punish  myself  for  mistrusting  you.  Admit  that  I 
can  be  fair !" 

It  was  a  ghastly  joke,  and  it  crushed  Lenny. 

"Bob,"  he  pleaded,  "for  God's  sake,  lend  me  the  money! 
I  swear  I'll  repay  it !  I  expect  the  houses  in  two  weeks. 
That  is  no  lie — even  though  the  other  was !  You  couldn't 
do  a  greater  kindness — it  would  mean  so  much  to  me — 
lend  me  the  sum  I  need,  Bob!" 

"Pshaw,  man !"  said  Maur,  making  a  motion  as  if  about 
to  rise.  "Why  don't  you  get  it  from  your  mother?" 

"Bob,  I  daren't!"  gasped  the  unfortunate  Lenny. 

"It  would  spoil  your  mother's  good  opinion  of  you,  eh?" 

Then  Maur  leaned  forward  and  said,  "By  the  way, 
Conny  has  an  idea  that  you  are  a  better  man  than  I — 
that  I  don't  shine  by  comparison.  If  you  are  desirous  of 
showing  your  friendship  for  me,  suppose  you  disillusion 
her  a  bit.  Tell  her  about  this.  I  may  be  more  inclined 
to  help  you  then." 

"I — I  couldn't  resort  to  trading  of  that  sort,"  said 
Lenny,  drawing  back,  and  immediately  aware  that  he  had 
wounded  Maur  beyond  any  hope  of  recall. 

"Trading!"  roared  the  latter.     "Somebody  would  think 


256  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

that  under  the  circumstances  you'd  pick  your  words  better ! 
You  to  preach  to  me !  Bah !  You  miserable  failure !" 

Cut  to  the  quick,  Lenny  cried,  "What  other  word  could 
I  use  for  what  you  proposed  ?  As  for  Conny,  do  you  think 
what  I'd  say  in  your  favor  would  help  you,  after  what  she 
knows  about  you?" 

Then  he  stopped  abruptly,  his  resentment  gone.  De- 
spair gripped  him  as  he  realized  how  he  had  been  undone 
by  his  temper.  And  his  nervous,  irresponsible  condition 
made  it  impossible  for  him  to  fall  back  on  his  pride  in 
this  hour  of  defeat. 

"What  Conny  knows  about  me,  eh?"  snapped  Maur. 
"Well,  if  I  am  all  that  you  and  she  believe  me  to  be,  why 
do  you  seek  my  help?  You,  who  are  afraid  to  tell  your 
own  mother  what  you  are,  fling  in  my  face  what  you  have 
heard  people  say  about  me !  You  are  a  man,  and  I  am  a 
rogue,  eh !  Two  thousand  dollars  !  Why  should  you  need 
it  right  away,  unless  you  stole  it,  and  have  to  put  it  back  in 
a  hurry  ?  It  is  time  you  were  found  out  for  what  you  are !" 

Lenny  flung  himself  at  him  with  a  cry  of  fury,  but  was 
thrown  back  by  a  sweep  of  Maur's  arm,  his  weak  frame  no 
match  for  the  strength  of  the  old-time  academy  leader. 
Then  Lenny's  hand  flashed  to  his  back-pocket. 

"What's  that!"  cried  Maur,  his  eye  following  the  motion 
of  the  hand. 

Neither  of  them  saw  a  figure  loom  up  in  the  doorway  of 
the  adjoining  room.  As  Lenny  dropped  his  arm  and  said, 
in  terrified  tones,  "Nothing!  Nothing!"  the  figure  dis- 
appeared. 

Maur,  believing  that  Lenny  had  almost  drawn  a  knife 
upon  him,  was  not  so  aggressive  now.  He  was  on  his  guard 
as  he  backed  toward  the  door. 

"I  am  sorry  you  have  made  it  impossible  for  me  to  be  of 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  257 

help  to  you,  or  to  listen  to  you  any  longer,"  he  said  un- 
steadily. "But  I  forgive  you  for  the  way  you  have  insulted 
me.  This  is  where  our  paths  separate !" 

As  he  hurried  out,  Lenny  fell  back  limply  into  his  seat, 
his  body  an  inert  mass.  The  retreating  footsteps  sounded 
loudly  in  the  stillness  of  the  club-house.  Suddenly  the 
crumpled  body  came  to  life.  It  exclaimed  in  a  sobbing 
voice : 

"Yes,  I'll  end  it!     I'll  end  it!" 

Lenny  struggled  to  his  feet  and  drew  a  revolver  from 
his  pocket.  Before  he  could  use  it,  a  voice  sounded 
through  the  room,  a  voice  that  palsied  his  arm. 

"  Stop,  man  !"  came  in  a  tone  which  was  both  a  command 
and  an  entreaty. 

It  was  Justin  who  leaped  toward  him. 

"Wait!"  he  pleaded;  and  by  this  time  his  restraining 
hand  was  on  the  pistol.  "You  are  crazy!"  he  cried. 
"Death  isn't  the  only  way  out  of  trouble!"  He  had  to 
hold  up  the  collapsing  form.  "Surely  you  didn't  mean 
to  use  that  revolver !  Why,  it  is  unbelievable !  You  ?" 

"Oh,  but  I  did  mean  to,"  came  wearily.  "I  am  done 
with  life.  I  am  down  and  out.  Please  leave  me  alone, 
Justin.  I  know  the  best  way  to  manage  this." 

"Nonsense!"  said  Mahan.  "It  isn't  quite  that  bad, 
even  though  it  sounded  so.  Yes,  I  heard  it  all — uninten- 
tionally." 

A  great  groan  burst  from  Lenny,  and  he  slid  back  into 
the  seat,  and  covered  his  face  with  his  hands. 

"It  was  providential  that  I  was  in  the  next  room,"  Jus- 
tin said.  "I've  been  coming  here  to  get  away  from  the 
noise  of  the  city — even  Germantown's.  I  was  dozing  when 
you  started  in.  When  I  heard  who  were  talking,  and  what 
you  were  talking  about,  I  couldn't  for  the  life  of  me  get 


258  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

away  without  knowing  how  you  intended  to  pull  out  of 
your  difficulty.  Why  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  sensible 
you  didn't  come  to  me  instead  of  to  this  fellow,  is  beyond 
me !  To  have  expected  Maur  to  deal  mercifully  with  you ! 
Now  tell  me  all  about  it !  The  whole  thing !" 

He  sat  down  near  Lenny  and  placed  his  hand  affection- 
ately on  his  shoulder.  Lenny  drew  away  abruptly. 

"I  can't  tell  you  anything,"  he  said.  But  his  stubborn- 
ness yielded  to  Justin's  silence.  "I  couldn't,  Justin,"  he 
suddenly  wailed.  "You've  heard  everything.  What  is 
there  for  me  to  tell  ?" 

"Surely  women  have  not  been  at  the  bottom  of  this!" 
cried  Justin. 

Lenny  shook  his  head  impatiently. 

"Well,  never  mind  the  cause  just  now,"  said  Justin. 
"We've  got  other  things  to  think  about.  First  of  all,  I 
want  to  ask  what  objection  you  would  have  to  my  advanc- 
ing you  the  money." 

"You?"  whispered  Lenny,  trying  to  accustom  himself 
to  this  unexpected  way  out  of  his  terrible  difficulty.  "You 
will  give  me  two  thousand  dollars?  Why,  I  may  not  be 
able  to  return  it  for  a  long  time !  Suppose  I  don't  get 
the  houses?  You  might  lose  all  your  money !"  But  he  im- 
mediately cried,  "Yes,  yes,  I  must  take  it!  I  must! 
Please,  Justin,  don't  back  down !" 

And  he  sprang  out  of  the  chair  with  a  glad  cry.  The 
ordeal,  however,  had  been  too  much  for  him.  He  pitched 
forward  into  Justin's  arms,  and  lay  there  in  a  swoon. 

When  he  opened  his  eyes,  the  older  man  was  bathing  his 
temples. 

"You'll  be  all  right!"  said  Justin  cheerfully.  "It  was 
rather  sudden — but  not  dangerous.  Are  you  yourself 
again?  Because  we've  got  lots  to  talk  about,  and  you're 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  259 

due  at  home  in  a  little  while.  And  we've  got  to  dispose  of 
those  two  thousand  dollars  to-morrow,  you  know." 

Lenny  tried  to  smile,  in  response  to  the  encouraging 
words. 

"I'll  get  you  something  to  steady  you,"  Justin  suggested. 

"No!"  said  Lenny.  "Please  don't!  I  mustn't  drink 
anything  now." 

In  half  an  hour  he  was  able  to  walk  down  the  stairs  and 
into  the  street,  although  his  legs  were  still  unsteady.  So 
far  he  had  not  spoken  a  word  about  the  use  to  which  he 
intended  putting  the  money  Justin  was  to  lend  him.  After 
they  had  gone  along  for  some  time  in  silence,  Lenny  asked : 

"At  what  time  can  I  see  you  to-morrow?" 

"Any  hour  of  the  morning.  I  will  have  ready  cash  just 
as  soon  as  the  bank  opens,"  was  the  reply.  "Can  you  wait 
until  then?" 

Fearful  of  managing  any  longer  without  some  advice, 
Lenny  made  a  clean  breast  of  how  he  had  come  to  need  so 
large  a  sum  of  money.  He  told  his  story  with  his  face 
on  fire,  and  with  tears  of  shame  in  his  eyes.  Both  had  come 
to  a  stop,  but  Lenny  spoke  on  with  averted  head.  Twice 
he  broke  down,  and  Justin  walked  him  about,  until  he 
could  speak  again. 

"So  you  see,"  Lenny  said  finally,  "why  I  can't  leave  the 
house  for  a  minute  to-morrow.  If  I'm  there,  I  can  keep 
mother  from  fussing  around  in  her  room  and  learning 
everything." 

"Suppose  you  give  me  the  pawn-tickets,"  said  Justin. 
"I  will  redeem  the  things.  Then  I  will  arrange  to  meet 
you  somewhere  near  the  house  with  them.  Meanwhile,  I 
believe,  we  can  get  your  mother  into  Philadelphia  for  the 
day.  I  haven't  a  plan  as  yet.  But  I'll  have  one  before 
the  evening  is  out." 


260  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITS 

He  had  difficulty  in  not  voicing  his  grief  at  the  sad  pass 
to  which  Lenny  had  come. 

"How  can  I  thank  you?"  cried  Leonard.  "You  have 
been  so  good  to  me  I  Any  one  else  would  have  rubbed  it 
in!" 

"I  think  you  can  attend  to  all  the  rubbing-in  that  is 
necessary,"  Justin  said  hastily,  to  check  the  words  of  grati- 
tude. He  asked,  "Won't  you  give  me  your  word  that  when 
you  have  escaped  from  the  senseless  world  in  which  you 
have  been  living  lately,  that  you  will  tell  your  mother 
everything?  Not,  however,  before  you  have  gotten  to  be 
your  old  self  again !  Not  before  then !  You  want  to  get 
all  the  mistrust  of  yourself  out  of  your  system !" 

"I  will  tell  her,  everything!"  said  Lenny.  "Oh,  if  I 
only  get  out  of  this !" —  He  broke  off  tremulously. 

"You  will!    You  will!"  said  Justin  cheerily. 

"And  you  are  willing  to  trust  me  with  all  that  money, 
after  all  you  heard?"  cried  Lenny. 

"If  you  will  hand  over  to  me  your  revolver,"  said  Justin, 
suddenly  remembering  it. 

"Oh,  I'll  put  it  back  in  the  library.  It's  father's,  you 
know.  It  might  be  missed,"  said  Lenny. 

"Very  well.  I  can  depend  on  you  to  put  it  back.  I 
suppose  you  are  carrying  the  pawn-tickets  with  you." 

Lenny's  face  was  crimson  when  he  handed  them  over. 
Justin  made  no  comment  about  their  number.  He  said, 
"God  be  with  you,  old  man,"  and  let  their  wretched  owner 

g°- 

"It  is  unbelievable!"  Justin  mused  as  he  took  his  way 
to  Gertrude.  "I  wonder  if  I  am  not  dreaming  this!  It 
sounds  impossible !  Yet  it  is  a  fact !  And  of  all  people, 
Lenny  Craigie !" 

Before  he  reached  the  Breen  home  he  had  ceased  to  spec- 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  261 

ulate  about  the  sad  affair  and  the  causes  which  might  have 
led  up  to  it,  and  was  considering  what  means  he  could  use 
to  get  Mrs.  Craigie  out  of  the  house  next  morning. 

"I  have  it!"  he  exclaimed,  just  at  the  moment  when 
Gertrude  was  advancing  to  greet  him. 

"What,  dear?"  she  said,  surprised  by  his  abstraction. 

He  smiled  at  her,  and  asked  to  be  excused  for  a  few  mo- 
ments while  he  went  into  the  library.  There  he  did  some 
quick  thinking. 

"I  can  pretend  a  mistake  about  Beecher's  property.  It 
will  be  perfectly  safe  to  do  so,"  he  told  himself.  "I  simply 
heard  twenty  thousand  when  thirty  thousand  was  meant." 

He  went  to  the  telephone,  and  called  up  Mrs.  Craigie. 

"Will  you  come  to  my  office  early  to-morrow  morning?" 
he  asked.  "I've  got  a  bit  of  property  for  you  which  ought 
to  net  you  ten  thousand  in  a  month.  You  will  be  aston- 
ished at  the  stupidity  of  the  people  who  are  willing  to  part 
with  it.  But  please  come  early — will  you  ?  Say  half -past 
nine." 

Mrs.  Craigie  thanked  him  warmly,  and  promised  to  be 
there.  His  generosity  did  not  surprise  her.  She  saw  in 
the  appointment  he  had  made  for  the  next  day  his  way  of 
presenting  her  with  a  Christmas  gift.  Little  did  she 
dream  that  Justin  had  planned  to  send  her  in  the  company 
of  some  one  else  than  himself  to  inspect  the  property.  He 
intended  that  she  should  discover  the  mistake  about  the 
valuation  long  after  the  jewels  had  been  replaced  in  the 
box. 

At  the  dinner-table  she  told  Lenny  of  Justin's  kindness. 
He  bubbled  over  with  happiness,  for  he  guessed  at  once  the 
reason  for  the  appointment.  He  praised  Justin  to  the 
skies,  and  spoke  of  numerous  other  proofs  of  that  man's 
friendship. 


363  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

"Was  there  ever  a  more  lovable  fellow  in  the  world!" 
he  cried.  "I'm  never  surprised  at  anything  like  that  from 
him !  What  I  wonder  at  is  that  he  doesn't  impress  every- 
body the  same  way.  Why,  there  are  people  who  dislike 
him!  Just  as  there  are  people  who  laugh  at  his  ability!" 

"He  doesn't  really  seem  to  be  as  energetic  as  of  old," 
said  Mrs.  Craigie  slowly.  "Perhaps  he  is  passing  through 
one  of  those  periods  when  everything  will  go  wrong.  There 
are  such  periods  in  all  our  lives." 

"Do  you  believe  that,  mother?"  cried  Lenny  eagerly,  his 
whole  face  glowing  in  the  certainty  of  her  "Yes." 

"I  feel  sure  that  the  abler  the  individual,  the  more  mo- 
ments there  are  of  doubt  and  weakness,"  she  replied. 

Lenny  confided  to  his  soul:  "You  shall  know  everything 
— soon  I" 

He  hastened  through  his  meal,  and  asked  to  be  excused. 

"I  am  going  out  for  a  little  while,  mother,"  he  said. 
"While  I  am  away,  will  you  look  over  my  manuscript?  I'll 
bring  it  down.  Put  in  all  the  corrections  you  want  to.  I'll 
do  some  work  on  it  after  I  come  back.  I  won't  be  more 
than  an  hour." 

His  purpose  in  putting  her  over  the  manuscript  of  his 
book  was  to  keep  her  from  going  to  her  rooms.  After  she 
began  reading  the  scribbled  pages,  he  hurried  to  a  drug- 
store, where  he  telephoned  Justin.  He  could  not  think  of 
going  over  to  the  Breen  home. 

"Why,  yes,"  Justin  said,  "I  can  get  away  for  a  few 
moments."  And  he  appointed  a  place  nearby. 

The  first  question  he  asked  when  they  met  was:  "You 
weren't  worried  about  your  mother's  intended  visit  down- 
town to-morrow  morning,  were  you?" 

"Oh,  I  saw  through  that  at  once!"  Lenny  replied.  "But 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  263 

that  changes  your  plan  about  redeeming  those  things, 
doesn't  it?" 

"Not  necessarily.  I  had  intended  to  send  some  one  else 
to  inspect  the  property  with  your  mother.  But  now  that 
you  have  suggested  it,  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  have  you 
meet  me  before  the  hour  I  appointed  with  her.  I  will  have 
the  money  for  you,  and  you  can  make  the  rounds  with  the 
tickets.  That,"  said  Justin,  "will  give  me  a  chance  to  go 
with  your  mother  myself.  Here  are  the  pawn  tickets. 
They  are  more  likely  to  be  safe  in  your  pocket  than  mine." 

As  Lenny  took  them,  Justin  added,  "Another  reason 
why  it  would  be  better  for  you  to  go  to  the  pawnbrokers 
yourself,  is  because  they  know  you,  and  would  not  ask  ques- 
tions." 

Lenny  saw  the  importance  of  this  at  once. 

"Yes !  Yes!"  he  said.  "And  now  I'll  not  trouble  you 
any  more  to-night.  I  really  wanted  to  see  you  again — for 
it  was  good  to  be  able  to  go  to  some  one  who  knew. — But 
you  understand !" 

Justin  said,  "Yes."  And  he  added  mentally,  "Poor  fel- 
low!" 

When  they  were  separating,  he  exclaimed: 

"  Good  luck  to  you,  Lenny !  We  will  make  much  of  the 
future,  won't  we  ?" 

"How  can  I  thank  you?"  was  all  Lenny  could  reply. 

It  was  Justin's  refusal  to  preach  which  had  touched  him 
most  deeply.  A  more  effective  course  could  not  have  been 
chosen  to  drive  home  to  him  the  gravity  of  what  he  had 
done.  He  left  Justin  with  a  greater  dignity  of  soul  than 
he  had  known  for  months. 

He  found  his  mother  wrinkling  her  forehead  over  the 
manuscript. 

"It  is  still  so  disjointed !"  she  said.     "You  ought  to  have 


264  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

written  some  of  these  heroic  episodes  at  a  single  sitting 
after  you  gathered  your  facts,  dear.  But  let  us  get  at  this 
in  detail." 

So  they  settled  themselves  for  a  long  evening  of  discus- 
sion and  correction.  Finally  the  night  was  far  enough  ad- 
vanced to  make  it  safe  for  Lenny  to  resign  his  task  of 
keeping  his  mother  from  her  room.  As  he  went  up  the 
stairs,  he  might  have  challenged  Trevor  to  equal  the  part 
he  had  played  that  evening. 

But  his  thoughts  were  far  from  boastful.  When  he  re- 
tired, he  lay  perfectly  still  for  a  long  time,  listening  for 
any  sound  from  his  mother's  room  which  might  announce 
the  discovery  of  the  theft.  When  midnight  came,  and  si- 
lence reigned  through  the  house,  he  breathed  a  long  quiv- 
ering sigh  of  relief,  that  swept  up  from  his  whole  body. 

"At  last  there  is  some  chance  of  my  pulling  through!" 
he  whispered. 

Sleep  was  not  easy.  He  lay  motionless,  and  tried  to  plan 
for  the  future. 

"All  this  experience  will  not  be  thrown  away  on  me !"  he 
said.  "And  now  I  will  go  back  to  my  law,  and  corpora- 
tion law  at  that — after  I  regain  some  of  my  strength." 

Despite  this,  he  dared  not  tell  himself  that  he  was  a 
physical  wreck,  and  that  his  mind  would  have  considerable 
difficulty  in  resuming  hard  study.  Instead,  he  wondered 
where  he  could  pick  up  a  law  library  cheaply,  and  was  cal- 
culating how  soon  he  would  be  in  a  position  to  enter  into 
partnership  with  Justin.  His  only  concession  to  his  broken 
state  of  health  was  the  promise,  "I  won't  smoke  as  much 
from  now  on.  I  mustn't !" 

He  never  knew  when  sleep  intervened.  It  proved  full  of 
fantastic  horrors,  which  tossed  him  about  as  a  leaf  is  blown 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  265 

about  in  a  gale.  Once  he  awoke,  and  smoked  for  an  hour. 
When  he  awoke  again,  day  was  breaking. 

He  dozed  until  it  was  time  to  dress.  Then  he  went  over 
his  pawn-tickets,  in  order  to  lay  out  a  route  which  would 
take  him  to  all  the  pawnshops  in  the  least  amount  of  time. 

Again  he  listened  for  a  sound  of  alarm  from  his  mother's 
room.  Suddenly  he  was  startled  by  the  fact  that  rain  was 
coming  down,  mingled  with  sleet,  and  that  the  ground  was 
ice-covered.  He  grew  terrified.  Would  not  the  state  of 
the  weather  prevent  his  mother's  visit  to  Justin's  office? 
Was  she  not  likely  to  postpone  the  inspection  of  the  prop- 
erty, and  to  remain  at  home  ? 

He  hurried  below  in  time  to  get  the  mail  from  the  post- 
man, who  had  rung.  His  hope  for  a  letter  from  Justin  was 
not  realized. 

"He  might  have  expected  bad  weather!"  Lenny  said  bit- 
terly. "If  he  would  only  telephone  that  any  delay  would 
cost  her  the  property !" 

He  trembled  when  he  heard  his  mother's  step  on  the 
stairs.  She  tried  to  smile  a  greeting,  but  finally  had  to 
confess : 

"I  have  a  bad  headache.  It  will  force  me  to  stay  in- 
doors after  all.  I  don't  believe  I  should  venture  out  in 
weather  like  this,  should  I  ?" 

"Not  if — if  you  think  it  will  be  all  right  to  break  the 
appointment — "  Lenny  stammered. 

"There  isn't  really  any  need  of  my  going,"  said  his 
mother.  "I'll  just  telephone  Mr.  Mahan  to  buy." 

"He  wanted  so  much  to  show  it  to  you !"  said  Lenny,  in 
a  hollow  voice. 

"1  shall  get  the  chance  before  we  leave  for  Boston. 
After  breakfast  I'll  make  an  effort  to  get  rid  of  my  head- 
ache by  going  over  the  things  we  will  need  next  week.  I 


266  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

want  you  to  look  over  your  clothes,  dear,  and  not  to  leave 
it  to  the  last  moment." 

Lenny  was  too  stunned  to  speak.  There  seemed  to  be 
some  way  of  postponing  the  moment  when  she  would  stum- 
ble upon  her  loss.  But  his  cigarette-fumed  mind  failed 
him  utterly  at  this  juncture. 

As  he  nibbled  at  his  breakfast,  he  kept  debating  whether 
to  flee  the  house  or  to  remain.  Although  he  saw  the  folly 
of  staying  when  every  moment  brought  the  fatal  discovery 
nearer,  there  was  a  meaningless  fascination  in  wanting  to 
watch  for  what  would  happen  when  his  mother  opened  her 
jewelry  box.  This  fascination  was  not  unlike  that  exerted 
by  the  gaze  of  a  snake  on  a  bird,  which  moves  to  its  doom, 
wildly  piping,  but  helpless. 

There  was  a  similarity  between  this  and  the  paralysis  of 
Lenny's  will  power.  He  could  do  nothing  but  keep  mov- 
ing about  within  reach  of  his  mother's  voice.  When  she 
ascended  the  stairs,  he  mechanically  followed  her.  Then 
he  strayed  off  to  his  own  room,  where  he  crouched  on  the 
edge  of  the  bed,  listening  to  the  murmur  of  voices  coming 
from  his  mother's  apartments,  where  she  and  Mrs.  Mulhol- 
land  had  set  to  work  looking  over  articles  of  wear  for  the 
Boston  trip. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  hush,  followed  by  a  cry  of  alarm. 
The  exclamation  snapped  the  invisible  bonds  which  had 
held  Lenny  during  the  last  hours.  He  was  on  his  feet  at 
once,  prepared  for  the  words  which  would  follow. 

"Lenny!  Quick!"  came  clamoring  through  the  house. 
"Somebody  has  been  at  your  mother's  things!" 

His  hands  went  out  with  a  sob.  He  was  pleading  for 
life. 

Again  Mrs.  Mulholland's  voice  sounded  loudly: 

"Come  quick,  Lenny!    Where  are  you?" 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  267 

He  made  no  answer.  Instead  he  took  the  revolver  from 
the  bureau,  and  slipped  it  into  his  pocket.  Then  he  scrib- 
bled three  words  on  a  card.  They  said : 

"Forgive  me,  mother." 

Placing  this  on  the  bureau,  he  put  the  pawn-tickets  on 
top  of  it. 

The  next  moment  he  had  hurried  down  the  rear  stairway. 
No  one  happened  to  be  in  the  kitchen  when  he  fled  through 
it.  When  he  reached  the  path  leading  from  the  rear  of  the 
house  around  to  the  street,  he  preferred,  on  second  thought, 
to  go  straight  across  the  open  space  to  the  hedge  at  the  far 
corner. 

Over  this  hedge  he  fell  rather  than  climbed.  Then  he 
ran  on  through  the  chilling  drizzle,  his  mouth  wide  open, 
and  his  eyes  fixed  glassily.  He  moaned  as  he  struggled 
for  breath. 

When  he  had  gone  some  distance,  he  looked  back  to  see 
if  the  house  was  still  within  sight.  A  sudden  slope  in  the 
ground  entirely  obscured  it.  Gasping  a  sigh  of  relief,  he 
put  one  arm  about  the  trunk  of  a  tree  to  steady  himself. 
With  his  free  hand  he  drew  the  revolver  from  his  pocket. 

"  Mother  I"  he  wailed.     "  Mother !" 

It  was  a  boy's  cry  rather  than  a  man's,  and  the  wild, 
staring  eyes  were  those  of  a  boy.  He  had  to  use  two  rin- 
gers to  pull  the  trigger. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

At  nine  o'clock  that  morning,  Justin  telephoned  to  Mrs. 
Craigie.  Mrs.  Mulholland  was  the  one  who  answered  the 
call,  and  in  her  excitement  she  did  not  note  how  unnerved 
the  man  at  the  other  end  of  the  wire  was.  She  said : 

"I  don't  helieve  Mrs.  Craigie  can  talk  to  you,  Mr.  Ma- 
han.  She  is  very  much  disturbed.  Will  you  call  her  up 
later?" 

"Why,  what  has  happened?"  Justin  found  voice  to  ask. 

"N" — nothing.     Were  you  to  see  Leonard  this  morning?" 

"Lenny?  Why?  Is  there  anything  the  matter  with 
him?" 

"No.  But  if  he  should  come  to  your  office,  will  you  tell 
him  that  his  mother  wants  him  at  home  as  soon  as  he  can 
get  here?" 

"Certainly.  In  fact,  I  do  expect  him.  Can  I  be  of 
service  to  you?" 

"No,  only  to  send  him  home.  His  mother  is  anxious  to 
see  him." 

"Will  you  get  Mrs.  Craigie  to  call  me  up  as  soon  as  she 
is  able  to?"  said  Justin. 

Mrs.  Mulholland  hurriedly  promised.  Then  she  hung 
up  the  receiver.  Before  Justin  could  get  another  oppor- 
tunity to  telephone  Mrs.  Craigie,  he  was  approached  by  a 
member  of  the  firm,  and  asked  to  go  to  court.  The  matter 
was  so  urgent  that  Justin  could  not  delay. 
268 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  269 

When  he  returned  three  hours  later,  he  was  informed 
that  there  had  been  several  telephone  calls  for  him — "By  a 
lady,"  said  the  boy,  "but  she  gave  no  name." 

Justin  immediately  took  up  the  receiver,  only  to  relin- 
quish it  and  to  sit  helplessly  before  the  telephone. 

He  did  not  dare  to  make  a  move  to  find  out  the  state  of 
affairs  at  Mrs.  Craigie's  home.  While  he  had  been  trans- 
acting his  business  in  court,  he  had  several  times  imagined 
that  Lenny  was  waiting  for  him  at  the  office.  The  fa«t 
that  he  had  not  been  there,  coupled  with  the  several  tele- 
phone calls,  which  must  have  come  from  Mrs.  Craigie, 
heightened  Justin's  fears. 

As  he  sought  to  see  his  way  clear  through  the  incidents 
of  the  morning,  he  stumbled  upon  an  explanation.  "Mrs. 
Craigie  did  not  wish  to  be  explicit,  and  so  sent  Mrs.  Mul- 
holland  to  the  telephone,  because  she  guessed  that  Lenny 
had  been  responsible  for  the  abstraction  of  the  jewels,"  he 
reasoned. 

He  got  up  and  paced  the  room  nervously. 

"Poor  woman!  Poor  Lenny!"  he  said.  "His  mother 
must  believe  that  he  has  run  away  to  hide  himself.  As 
long  as  she  believes  that  nothing  more  serious  has  hap- 
pened, she  will  not  turn  to  me  for  aid." 

He  went  to  the  telephone  boy  and  asked,  "Did  that  lady 
inquire  if  Mr.  Craigie  was  here." 

"Yes,  sir,"  came  in  reply. 

"Why  didn't  you  tell  me  so?"  Justin  demanded. 

The  answer,  "You  didn't  ask  me,  sir,"  although  exas- 
perating at  first,  could  not,  on  second  thought,  evoke  much 
blame  from  Justin. 

He  reflected,  "The  boy  is  right.  I  should  have  asked — 
confound  my  stupidity !  Mrs.  Craigie  telephoned  only  be- 
cause she  must  have  wanted  to  know  whether  he  was  here. 


270  THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE 

It  would  not  have  been  like  her  to  have  told  me  anything 
until  she  saw  him." 

He  asked  himself  whether  he  ought  not  to  remain  in  the 
office  so  as  to  give  Lenny  every  chance  of  finding  him  and 
of  straightening  matters  out  in  case  there  had  really  been 
no  discovery  of  the  loss  of  the  jewelry. 

"No,  Mrs.  Craigie  must  know  all !"  he  said  with  a  sad 
shake  of  his  head.  "What  else  can  the  telephoning  and 
Lenny's  disappearance  mean?  He  has  been  found  out!" 

As  he  strode  about,  his  forehead  wrinkled  with  anxiety, 
he  kept  asking  himself : 

"At  a  critical  moment  like  this,  is  it  not  my  place  to  be 
in  Germantown?" 

Going  to  the  telephone,  he  called  up  the  police  depart- 
ment. He  gave  his  name,  and  inquired  what  the  last  po- 
lice news  from  Germantown  was.  "Two  fires/'  came  in 
reply. 

But  Justin  was  not  relieved.  "Something  more  serious 
than  the  loss  of  her  jewelry  may  confront  Mrs.  Craigie !" 
he  said,  pale  with  anxiety,  and  he  hastily  got  on  his  over- 
coat. 

He  told  the  boy  at  the  telephone  to  inform  all  who 
might  inquire  for  him  that  he  was  at  Miss  Breen's  home 
in  Germantown.  Hurrying  to  the  station,  he  caught  a 
local  train  just  as  it  was  about  to  pull  out.  When  he" 
alighted  at  his  stopping  place,  a  friend's  automobile  gave 
him  a  "lift"  to  Gertrude's  door.  The  rain  on  the  glass 
of  the  vehicle's  hood  kept  him  from  getting  a  glimpse  of 
Mrs.  Craigie's  house  as  they  flew  by. 

Gertrude  proved  to  be  out.  When  Justin  lifted  his  eye- 
brows at  the  risk  she  was  running  in  braving  such  weather, 
her  maid  said,  to  reassure  him : 

"Mrs.  Crandall's  carriage  will  bring  her  home.     Miss 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  271 

BreeD  spoke  of  being  back  at  two.  She  ought  to  be  here 
directly,  sir." 

Justin  went  to  the  library  and  flung  himself  into  a  chair 
before  the  fireplace.  The  grayness  outside  which  thick- 
ened the  shadows  all  over  the  room  was  somewhat  set  off  by 
the  blaze  in  the  fireplace. 

But  this  did  not  cheer  Justin,  who  puffed  his  cigarette 
nervously,  while  his  thoughts  dwelt  in  gloomy  fashion  on 
Lenny's  inexplicable  mania  for  gambling. 

Before  long  his  uneasiness  about  Lenny  gave  way  to  de- 
pressing thoughts  about  himself.  He  asked : 

"What  successes  have  I  brought  Gertrude?  How  have  I 
proved  myself  worthy  of  her  love?  Was  I  the  right  sort 
of  man  for  this  wonderful  girl,  after  all?" 

And  he  admitted  sorrowfully,  "I  am  the  one  mistake 
she  has  made — she  who  was  able  to  accomplish  so  much, 
who  was  able  to  mould  Conny  into  a  woman,  though  herself 
only  a  girl,  and  who  could  have  led  a  real  man  to  great 
heights  I" 

He  saw  in  that  moment  wnat  a  failure  he  promised  to  be 
in  politics.  This  threatened  to  prove  equally  true  of  his 
law  work.  Instead  of  the  brilliancy  everyone  had  expected 
of  him,  he  was  hardly  holding  his  own. 

"I  am  only  second-rate,  mediocre,  useless!"  he  declared. 

Facing  the  situation  fully,  ha  was  frank  enough  to  con- 
fess that  he  had  laid  too  great  stress  on  how  he  had  been 
passed  by  in  law  and  politics,  and  not  enough  on  the  way 
in  which  he  had  shirked  responsibility. 

"I  could  have  overcome  all  obstacles  if  I  had  fought 
hard  enough,"  he  exclaimed.  "My  love  for  Gertrude  should 
have  helped  me  to  do  so.  The  important  thing  was  that  I 
owed  it  to  her  to  bring  her  the  greatest  possible  happiness. 
It  was  not  enough  to  offer  her  explanations  for  failure !" 


273  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

Then  he  voiced  in  a  whisper  a  thought  which  had  dimly 
presented  itself  to  him  before : 

"Ought  I  not  to  give  Gertrude  her  freedom?" 

"That  would  really  be  a  big  thing!"  he  said.  "True,  I 
would  be  striking  a  blow  at  my  own  happiness;  but  what 
other  chance  have  I  of  showing  her  that  I'm  not  a  puny 
self-seeker?  She  will  not  want  to  consider  it.  She  will 
say  that  it  is  an  insult  to  her  love  for  me  and  my  love  for 
her.  But  I  will  talk  plainly.  I  will  prove  to  her  how  wise 
it  would  be  for  her  to  let  me  go.  It  is  the  only  thing  in  my 
power  that  I  have  to  offer  her." 

He  pondered  this  until  his  soul  quivered  with  pain. 

"Oh,  what  a  coward  I  am !"  he  snarled.  "If  I  weren't,  I 
would  not  be  thinking  about  my  feelings!  Her  welfare 
comes  first.  It  is  paramount.  How  dare  I  consider  my 
convenience?  This  namby-pamby  way  of  living  is  not  de- 
cent! And  she  shall  not  share  it!" 

Gertrude  entered  at  this  moment.  At  once  he  found  his 
good  resolutions  melting  away  like  wax  in  a  flame.  Every 
thought  of  giving  up  the  beautiful  girl  vanished,  as  her 
little  cry  of  surprise  and  happiness  at  finding  him  there 
sent  the  blood  leaping  through  his  veins. 

"Tell  me,"  she  said  hastily,  not  understanding  why  he 
was  there  at  that  hour,  "is  everything  all  right,  dear?" 

"As  always,"  he  said  with  the  suggestion  of  a  shrug. 
"So  I  thought  I  would  come  to  Germantown  for  the  rest 
of  the  day." 

"You  did  not  have  Mrs.  Craigie  go  into  town  in  a  day 
like  this?"  she  said,  taking  his  reluctant  hand. 

"No,  not  in  this  beastly  weather.  It  would  be  almost 
night  in  here  if  it  wasn't  for  your  fireplace." 

Inwardly  he  was  saying,  "How  will  I  ever  find  courage 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  273 

to  speak  about  what  concerns  us  ?  Am  I  never  to  face  her 
in  the  right  way  on  a  matter  so  vital  to  her  ?" 

Gertrude  had  remarked,  "Yes,  it  is  very  dark,  and  grow- 
ing darker.  I  shall  have  the  lamp  lighted.  But  I  must 
get  my  hat  off !  It  was  so  good  to  find  you  here,  I  forgot 
everything  else !" 

He  let  her  go  without  a  word.  When  the  maid  came  in 
to  light  the  lamp,  he  watched  the  operation  dully  until,  to 
shake  off  his  mental  numbness,  he  leaped  to  his  feet  and 
began  pacing  the  room. 

Gertrude  slipped  in  again,  unseen  by  him,  and  uneasily 
watched  his  preoccupation.  He  sighed,  and  went  to  the 
window,  out  of  which  he  stared,  his  head  bowed,  and  his 
shoulders  stooped  in  dejection.  As  Gertrude,  greatly 
moved  by  the  sadness  which  revealed  itself  in  every  line  of 
his  body,  was  about  to  speak,  he  started  and  cried: 

"  Conny  is  running  here  full  tilt  like  a  mad  person ! 
She  is  frightened  about  something.  She  hasn't  even  put 
her  umbrella  up.  Where  has  she  been?  Good  heavens, 
what  is  the  matter  with  the  girl  ?" 

He  threw  up  the  long  window  and  whistled  shrilly. 
Conny  came  running  in  with  a  wild  cry,  leaped  past  him, 
and  flung  herself  into  the  arms  of  Gertrude,  sobbing  hys- 
terically as  she  clung  to  her,  the  sobs  broken  by  shrieks. 

"Why,  what's  the  matter?"  cried  Justin,  dashing  the 
window  into  place  and  coming  hurriedly  over. 

"Oh !  oh !  oh !"  Conny  wailed  in  tones  of  despair. 

"Come,  now,"  Justin  insisted.  "You  are  frightening 
Gertrude.  Speak  out.  Do  you  hear?  Don't  keep  your 
aunt  in  this  terrible  suspense." 

It  was  almost  a  command.  Justin  was  nervous  enough 
to  seize  her  arm  forcibly  as  he  spoke. 

"Oh,  he's  dead,  he's  dead!"  Conny  sobbed  out  wildly. 


274  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

Justin  reeled.  He  knew  at  once  what  she  had  to  impart. 
His  head  felt  as  if  it  had  been  filled  with  fire. 

"Who  is  dead?"  Gertrude  demanded  in  terror,  holding 
Conny  off  to  force  an  answer. 

"Oh,  oh,  he  has  killed  himself!  He  is  dead!"  sobbed 
the  grief-stricken  girl. 

"Who?"  thundered  Justin,  to  bring  the  suspense  to  an 
end. 

"Lenny !  Lenny !  My  Lenny  is  dead !"  And  as  if  an  in- 
visible hand  had  struck  her  down,  Conny  went  to  the  floor 
in  a  heap,  and  lay  moaning  there. 

"Lenny  Craigie!"  cried  Gertrude,  steadying  herself  only 
by  an  effort. 

Justin  stood  immovable,  his  heart's  pulsations  almost  at 
a  fading  point. 

"Yes,"  he  answered  for  the  speechless  girl  lying  on  the 
floor,  "it  must  be  Lenny." 

Gertrude  by  a  supreme  effort  kept  from  fainting.  Then 
she  said:  "I  must  go  over  there.  She  will  need  me.  Oh, 
how  was  it  possible?  He  kill  himself — he  a  boy — a  mere 
boy!" 

"Yes,  yes !"  cried  Conny,  and  shrieked :  "He  did  it  with 
a  pistol !  Why  ?— why  ?  Oh,  my  Lenny !" 

"We  must  go  over  there  at  once,  Gertrude,"  Justin  said 
hoarsely.  "I'll  get  the  maid  to  bring  you  some  extra 
wraps " 

He  put  out  his  arm  just  in  time  to  save  her  from  fall- 
ing. The  enormity  of  the  horror  had  come  to  her  in  full 
at  that  moment,  as  she  mentally  saw  the  bereaved  mother 
over  the  body  of  her  dead  son. 

"I  will  be  all  right  in  a  minute!"  she  gasped,  clinging 
to  him.  "How  terrible!  Justin,  think  what  it  means  for 
his  mother.  It  will  kill  her !"  Then  she  knelt  down  be- 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  275 

side  Conny,  who  was  lying  at  full  length  on  the  floor  weep- 
ing wildly,  and  the  two  sobbed  in  each  other's  arms. 

"I'll  call  down  Trevor,"  said  Justin.  "He  had  better 
be  with  you  while  I  go  over  to  Mrs.  Craigie's." 

"No!     No!     Let  me  go  to  her!"  cried  Gertrude. 

"You  must  not,"  said  Justin.  "You  couldn't  bear  it. 
Not  now.  But  I  ought  to  be  there.  And  the  sooner  the 
better." 

Conny  suddenly  released  herself  from  Gertrude's  arms, 
and  brushing  the  wet  hair  from  her  eyes,  exclaimed  vehe- 
mently : 

"No,  you  won't,  Justin  Mahan!     You  shan't  go  there!" 

The  antagonism  in  her  voice  dumbfounded  him.  He 
stared  at  the  rebellious  figure,  and  asked  sharply: 

"What  do  you  mean?  What  are  you  talking  about? 
Why  do  you  speak  that  way?" 

"  Not  you !"  she  cried,  her  eyes  flashing  as  she  stood  up. 
"Oh,  no !  Because  it  was  you  who  brought  Lenny  to  this ! 
Yes,  you !" 

Before  either  of  her  astounded  auditors  could  find  voice, 
and  before  Justin  had  time  to  imagine  how  any  fault  of 
his  during  the  last  twenty-four  hours  could  have  brought 
about  the  tragedy,  Conny  plunged  into  a  hysterical  denun- 
ciation. 

"It  was  his  cigarette-smoking  that  led  him  to  this.  The 
cigarettes  drove  him  crazy.  He  must  have  done  something 
of  which  he  was  ashamed.  Didn't  we  all  hear  about  his  go- 
ing to  the  bad  ?  I  didn't  believe  it.  But  now  I  know  there 
must  have  been  some  truth  in  it.  And  all  because  he 
wanted  to  imitate  you — that's  how  he  got  the  cigarette 
habit!" 

Justin  stepped  back,  astounded.  But  Conny  did  not 
pause. 


276  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"A  doctor  told  him  long  ago  that  he  was  becoming  a 
wreck  because  of  cigarettes.  And  Lenny  knew  that  the 
habit  was  hurting  him — that  it  spoiled  his  studying,  his 
ambitions,  his  friendships — everything!  Oh,  I  can't  tell 
you  how  I  got  to  know  it,  but  I  did." 

"But  why  do  you  drag  me  into  this?"  stormed  Justin. 

"Because  he  thought  at  first  the  smoking  couldn't  hurt 
him  because  it  didn't  hurt  you.  That's  not  all,  either.  He 
worshiped  you.  He  wanted  to  do  everything  you  did.  And 
because  you  smoked  he  started  it  early.  You  saw  him  do 
it,  yet  you  never  said  a  word.  He  believed  all  the  time 
that  if  it  was  all  right  for  you,  it  was  all  right  for  him. 
And  he  got  sicker  and  sicker.  Then  he  grew  to  be  idle 
and  downhearted.  He  couldn't  study,  he  couldn't  do  any 
work.  Didn't  Bob  Maur  tell  me  that  cigarettes  kept  Lenny 
from  making  the  baseball  or  football  teams  ?  And  you  en- 
couraged him  to  become  a  cigarette-fiend.  And  now  he 
has  killed  himself !  My  Lenny  is  dead — dead !" 

She  had  stumbled  through  this  brokenly,  but  it  was  none 
the  less  impressive.  The  words  were  like  hammer-blows. 
As  she  once  more  sank  to  the  floor  and  rocked  back  and 
forth  with  heartrending  sobs,  Justin,  deathly  pale,  did  not 
dare  to  look  at  her  or  at  Gertrude.  He  heard  the  latter 
say  in  horrified  tones : 

"Constance,  you  cannot  know  what  you  are  saying! 
Why,  this  is  a  terrible  accusation !  How  dared  you  talk 
like  that?" 

Justin  shook  himself  together  out  of  the  stupor  into 
which  Conny's  words  had  thrown  him.  Before  he  could 
speak,  however,  she  had  taken  up  her  charges  again. 

"It  is  a  terrible  accusation,  but  it  is  true!"  she  insisted. 
"Didn't  a  big  physician  show  him  that  cigarettes  were  re- 
sponsible for  all  his  troubles?  And  Lenny,  too,  was  sure 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  277 

his  smoking  hurt  him  dreadfully.  But  he  couldn't  stop. 
His  cigarettes  kept  him  from  putting  up  any  sort  of  a 
fight.  They  robbed  him  of  all  his  strength.  All  because 
he  wanted  to  copy  Justin  !  He  was  always  pointing  to  him 
when  I  scolded  about  the  lot  of  smoking  he  did.  He  found 
out  too  late.  Then  he  must  have  gotten  into  terrible  com- 
pany. And  he  is  dead,  dead !" 

"You  do  not  mean  that  they  are  saying  these  things  over 
at  his  home?"  Justin  hoarsely  demanded. 

Conny  shook  her  head. 

"Only  I  knew,"  she  said.  "His  mother  never  dreamed 
what  was  the  matter  with  him.  I  hope  she  never  will.  My 
poor  Lenny !  Oh,  I  can't  bear  it,  I  can't !  And  he  never 
came  to  me.  He  got  to  be  ashamed.  Why  didn't  I  help 
him  even  if  he  didn't  want  to  let  me !  He  was  too  proud, 
my  Lenny !  Oh,  I  shall  go  crazy  I" 

She  staggered  to  her  feet  once  more,  to  go  to  the  one 
person  to  whom  she  now  instinctively  turned  in  her  de- 
spair— her  "uncle."  But  Justin,  aroused,  blocked  the  way. 

"Listen,"  he  said.  "You  don't  appear  to  realize  the 
gravity  of  your  words.  You  have  made  a  terrible  charge, 
which  is  not  founded  on  fact.  I  am  in  a  position  to  know 
that  Lenny  did  make  a  great  mistake,  but  that  he  was  led 
into  temptation  as  any  boy  might  have  been.  To  say  that 
I  was  at  the  bottom  of  it — well,  I  can  only  forgive  your 
strange  words  when  I  see  how  overwrought  you  are.  But 
you  must  not  tax  my  patience  by  repeating  these  sweeping 
charges,"  he  warned. 

"Can't  you  see  it  was  the  smoking?"  persisted  Conny. 
"From  the  time  he  began,  everything  went  wrong.  He 
got  poor  in  his  work.  He  got  too  nervous  for  athletics. 
He  was  always  moody  and  sick.  All  his  ambition  vanished. 
And  he  knew  it  himself.  That  doctor  wasn't  guessing. 


278  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

Lenny  wouldn't  have  believed  him  if  there  hadn't  been 
some  cause  for  it.  And  all  of  it  started  because  he  wor- 
shiped you,  and  he  imitated  you.  I  can't  forget  how  he  al- 
ways excused  his  smoking  by  pointing  to  you." 

Justin  sought  for  words,  but  could  only  say : 

"Although  he  was  going  down-hill,  he  never  hinted  to 
me  that  I  was  the  cause  of  it — that  I  was  to  be  blamed." 

"Oh,  it  isn't  he  who  blames  you,"  said  Conny  bitterly, 
through  her  tears.  "It  is  I  who  blame  you.  Didn't  I  see 
you  giving  him  cigarettes  ?  So  often !  And  when  he  was 
fighting  them,  too !  But  he  couldn't  refuse  you.  Not  you ! 
Why,  you're  a  cigarette-fiend  yourself!"  came  in  strident 
tones.  "Smell  the  smoke  in  this  room!  Isn't  it  enough 
to  make  one  sick?  Think  of  him  breathing  smoke  like 
that,  day  in  and  day  out,  year  after  year !  No  wonder  he 
never  amounted  to  much !  My  poor  Lenny !" 

Then  as  she  went  on,  her  eyes  became  dry  and  angry. 
She  was  no  longer  the  light-hearted  girl  who  had  brought 
laughter  to  the  house.  She  was  vengeance  itself.  Her  in- 
tense earnestness  carried  conviction  and  crushed  out  argu- 
ment. 

"He  dreamt  of  becoming  your  partner.  He  wanted  to 
be  useful,  and  to  grow  into  a  big  man.  When  he  had 
strength  he  could  work — even  when  he  was  sick,  too.  How 
he  did  fight  at  times!  It  is  a  torture  to  remember  how 
lonely  he  must  have  been  when  he  did.  If  he  had  only  be- 
lieved in  himself  from  the  start,  and  not  in  you !  But  to 
him  you  were  the  perfect  man.  How  blind  he  was !  And 
when  he  believed  in  people,  he  believed  with  his  whole  soul. 
And  he  did  some  great  wrong,  because  the  fight  had  died 
out  of  him.  And  when  he  saw  how  terrible  the  wrong  was, 
instead  of  remembering  what  he  owed  his  mother  and  me 
and  all  of  us,  he  killed  himself.  He  had  become  a  coward. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  279 

My  brave  Lenny  a  coward !  Who  helped  to  kill  him,  Jus- 
tin ?  It  was  the  man  who  had  encouraged  him  to  become  a 
cigarette-fiend !" 

Only  the  countless  hours  with  Trevor  had  enabled  Conny 
to  acquire  the  richness  of  vocabulary  and  the  dramatic 
power  which  she  threw  into  her  denunciation,  and  which 
served  her  in  that  strange  hour.  She  had  not,  however, 
striven  for  effect.  The  whole  was  put  powerfully  because 
she  had  been  armed  by  the  soul-racking  events  at  Mrs. 
Craigie's  death-filled  home,  and  by  her  own  grief  and  hor- 
ror. 

The  point  was  now  reached  when  Justin  found  himself 
unable  to  make  light  of  the  grave  charges.  Deep  within 
him  a  voice  declared:  "They  are  true.  Do  you  not  see 
that  cigarettes  have  crushed  out  your  own  energies  and 
left  you  a  useless  individual?  What  else  has  been  the 
cause  of  your  failure?" 

He  dared  not  look  in  Gertrude's  direction.  When  with 
a  moan  she  stole  out  of  the  room,  he  felt  the  ground  slip- 
ping from  under  his  feet.  In  that  moment  he  understood 
as  never  before  why  one  might  be  driven  to  end  one's  life. 
Suddenly  he  saw  again,  very  distinctly,  Lenny's  almost 
successful  attempt  at  suicide  in  the  Lotus  Club. 

Justin's  despair  at  the  pass  to  which  he  had  himself  come 
was  forgotten  when  Conny's  sobbing  fell  upon  his  ear  in  the 
profound  silence  about  them.  She  had  groped  her  way  to 
a  chair,  too  weak  to  leave  the  room.  Infinite  pity  for  her 
welled  through  him  as  he  suddenly  caught  at  something 
he  had  not  seen  before.  He  asked  in  a  whisper : 

"Conny,  did  you  love  him?" 

There  came  in  a  tired  voice:  "I  don't  know."  Imme- 
diately after  he  heard,  with  a  feeling  of  awe:  "I  suppose 
I  did." 


280  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

Conny  burst  into  sobs  again,  wild  sobs  which  shook  her 
body  and  which  were  like  knife-thrusts  to  Justin,  who 
writhed  in  pain.  He  covered  his  face  with  his  clenched 
hands. 

The  next  moment  he  was  at  Conny's  side.  Bending  over 
her,  he  said : 

"It  is  too  late  to  atone  for  anything — it  would  be  so 
useless !  I  can't  do  more  than  to  beg  your  forgiveness.  I 
do  feel  now  that  I  led  him  on  by  example.  Of  course,  it 
won't  be  easy  for  you  to  forgive  me.  But  think  how  heavy 
God's  punishment  will  be  as  time  goes  on !  I  will  pay 
dearly  for  this  during  every  living,  breathing  moment. 
God  help  me !  I  think  I  have  most  need  of  it  now." 

"Oh,  Justin,  Justin,  he  is  dead!"  came  wailingly  in 
answer. 

"I  would  gladly  change  places  with  him  if  I  could !"  said 
Justin.  "Heaven  forgive  me  for  the  harm  I  have  inadver- 
tently done  you  and  his  mother!" 

Conny  slipped  away.  He  heard  as  in  a  dream  the  sound 
of  her  feet  on  the  stairs.  Walking  to  the  table,  he  me- 
chanically opened  his  cigarette  case  and,  taking  out  a  cigar- 
ette, he  as  mechanically  lighted  it.  The  next  instant  he 
threw  it  and  the  cigarette  case,  with  a  tremor  of  intense  re- 
vulsion, into  the  fireplace,  where  a  last  log  was  smouldering. 

The  silence  about  him  was  oppressive.  He  tried  to  think, 
but  he  only  knew  that  terrible  days  were  before  him,  and 
that  he  had  gone  through  a  disastrous  defeat  which  might 
leave  him  nothing  of  a  future.  In  his  overwhelming  lone- 
liness, he  cried : 

"Gertrude!     Gertrude!" 

There  was  no  answer.  As  his  arm  fell  limply  to  his 
side,  it  struck  the  ash  tray  standing  nearby,  and  sent  its 
contents  over  his  clothes.  The  incident  passed  unobserved. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  281 

A  cloud  had  settled  over  his  thoughts,  and  he  grew  more 
and  more  unable  to  make  his  way  through  the  torturing 
horrors  which  beset  him. 

Then  he  saw  in  its  full  aspect  how  a  habit  had  made  his 
life  an  utter  failure.  He  did  not  remember  whether  Conny 
had  pointed  this  out  when  she  charged  him  with  respon- 
sibility for  Lenny's  death.  There  was  no  doubt,  however, 
that  Gertrude  had  seen  it  in  its  full  significance. 

Justin  could  not  ignore  the  fact.  He  was  soon  asking 
himself : 

"Why  should  I  not  be  honest  enough  to  admit  that 
Lenny's  excessive  smoking  was,  in  the  main,  responsible  for 
his  wrong-doing,  and  for  his  death?" 

He  remembered  his  own  visits  to  the  physician. 

"Am  I  not  destroying  my  life,  even  as  I  indirectly  en- 
couraged Lenny  to  destroy  his  ?"  he  reflected. 

The  perspiration  beaded  itself  on  his  forehead. 

"To  whom  could  I  first  make  atonement  for  the  tragedy 
of  to-day  ?"  he  asked,  pacing  the  room  like  a  madman.  "To 
the  frantic  mother  who  is  to  take  her  only  son  to  a  suicide's 
grave?  To  Conny,  who,  in  this  dreadful  hour,  has  found 
that  she  loved  the  dead  boy  ?  To  Gertrude,  who  has  hidden 
until  this  moment  the  sorrow  my  failure  has  brought  her?" 

He  cried  aloud,  "Lenny  dead  is  much  more  fortunate 
than  I  living!" 

"Do  not  say  that!"  came  in  frightened  tones  from  the 
door.  As  he  halted  with  a  start,  Gertrude  came  to  him 
and  laid  her  hands  on  his  shoulders. 

Her  unexpected  return  unnerved  him,  and  sent  him 
weakly  into  a  chair.  Gertrude  slipped  down  by  his  side. 

"You  must  not  forget  that  all  you  do  has  to  take  two 
into  account !"  she  said.  "Just  as  my  life  has  become  a 
planning  for  two !  And  when  your  terrible  hurt  came  with 


283  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

Conny's  words,  I,  too,  was  wounded.  But  as  I  thought 
it  all  over,  I  believed  more  and  more  that  you  could  sur- 
mount all  obstacles,  that  you  could  conquer  the  past.  I  be- 
lieved this  because  of  my  faith  in  you.  My  whole  being  is 
tied  up  with  yours.  All  you  will  do  will  be  either  life  or 
death  to  me.  Will  you  remember  this?  It  is  all  I  ask 
now,  dear." 

"But  you  are  ignoring  my  part  in  Lenny's  death!"  he 
cried.  "It  was  the  smoking !  I  am  sure  of  it  now !  When 
is  my  punishment  to  begin?" 

"No  one  could  be  more  cruel  to  you  than  you  are  your- 
self," said  Gertrude  gently.     "Surely,  you  will  not  ask  me 
to  add  to  the  punishment !" 
Justin  threw  back  his  head. 

"I  swear  to  you,"  he  said  with  fierce  determination, 
"that  I  will  never  again  touch  tobacco!  I  will  get  for  you 
and  for  myself  all  the  things  that  you  and  I  have  set  our 
hearts  on !  Instead  of  a  mere  shell  of  a  man,  I  will  bring 
you  strength,  and  ambition,  and  honor,  and  achievement! 
I  have  lived  like  a  fool,  but  I  shall  live  like  a  man!" 

He  took  her  head  in  his  hands,  and  kissed  her  brow  with 
a  profound  earnestness  which  sealed  his  promise. 

Both  became  conscious  of  the  odor  of  newly-lighted  ciga- 
rettes in  the  room.  Justin  looked  at  the  fireplace.  The  ciga- 
rette case  he  had  flung  into  it  had  been  slowly  heated  by  the 
embers  until  its  contents  had  begun  to  burn.    Gertrude  fol- 
lowed the  direction  of  Justin's  eyes,  and  both  watched  the 
cigarettes  in  the  opened  silver  case  become  consumed  until 
nothing  was  left  of  them  except  a  little  heap  of  ashes. 
Gertrude  flung  up  her  arms  eagerly,  and  cried : 
"Kiss  me,  dearest!" 
As  his  arms  released  her,  he  said : 
"Now  you  must  go  over  to  his  mother.    I  cannot !" 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Colonel  Henderson  had  embarked  for  Europe  just  a  day 
prior  to  the  calamity  at  the  home  of  the  woman  he  had 
courted  so  long  and  so  hopelessly.  At  Plymouth  he  se- 
cured a  copy  of  the  London  "Times,"  glad  to  be  brought  in 
touch  with  home  again,  even  if  the  American  news  occu- 
pied but  a  small  portion  of  the  paper.  As  the  steamer  con- 
tinued its  course  to  Liverpool,  the  Colonel  settled  himself 
comfortably  for  an  hour's  reading. 

Before  he  had  passed  the  second  page,  he  was  brought  to 
his  feet  by  an  astounding  item. 

"Great  heavens !"  he  gasped.     "It  isn't  possible !" 

The  paper  spoke  of  the  suicide  of  "a  son  of  Captain 
Craigie,  himself  deceased,  who  so  heroically  saved  the  ship 
of  which  he  was  in  command,  the  Niagara,  some  fifteen 
years  ago."  The  suicide  could  not  be  attributed  to  any 
known  cause. 

For  a  full  minute  the  Colonel  stared  dumbly  at  the 
printed  words  before  him,  unable  to  reread  the  single  para- 
graph. Gathering  himself  together,  he  went  over  to  a  pas- 
senger who  was  lounging  near  the  rail,  and  said : 

"My  dear  Mr.  Hallock,  may  I  ask  you  to  do  me  a  favor? 
Will  you  kindly  read  these  few  lines  for  me?  I  haven't 
my  glasses  handy,  and  it  concerns  a  friend.  I  believe  it  is 
bad  news." 


284  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

The  words  lie  had  read  were  repeated  to  him.  Bowing 
his  thanks,  the  Colonel  hastily  descended  to  his  cabin. 

As  a  result  of  the  facts  that  had  come  to  him  so  unex- 
pectedly, he  took  the  next  steamer  home  after  landing  at 
Liverpool.  Never  was  an  ocean  voyage  so  long  or  so 
tedious,  despite  the  new  ocean  record  the  boat  created. 
When  he  appeared  in  Germantown  within  two  weeks  after 
having  left  it,  his  friends  were  not  surprised. 

Those  who  were  not  well  acquainted  with  Mrs.  Craigie 
said:  "She  must  have  cabled  him."  Her  friends  saw  the 
matter  in  another  light.  "He  must  have  gotten  the  news, 
and  is  making  a  last  effort  to  win  her,"  they  argued.  "It's 
his  'now  or  never' !" 

So  the  Colonel  thought,  for  his  first  visit  was  to  the  be- 
reaved mother.  She  received  him  in  a  forlorn  way,  which 
seemed  to  him  to  fit  in  with  his  purpose.  He  was  sincere, 
however,  when  he  said: 

"I  know  what  this  has  meant  to  you.  It  has  been  a  sad 
blow  to  me,  too.  I  loved  the  boy." 

He  spent  but  little  time  on  this  visit,  or  on  the  next. 
The  third  time  he  spoke  his  mind. 

"Let  me  share  your  grief  in  the  way  in  which  I  wish  to 
share  it,"  he  pleaded.  "You  and  I  will  treasure  his  mem- 
ory together.  Surely  you  will  not  send  me  away !  I  want 
to  be  of  help  to  you,  yet  something  more  than  a  friend !" 

She  sobbed  silently  for  a  while.  When  she  was  some- 
what composed,  she  told  him : 

"What  you  ask  is  impossible.  I  cannot  enter  upon  any 
new  life  now.  The  memory  of  the  two  I  have  loved  must 
fill  my  whole  existence.  Do  not  be  harsh  in  your  judg- 
ment of  me,  my  friend.  I  no  longer  live  in  the  present. 
I  have  even  prayed  that  I  may  die  quickly.  That  is  wrong, 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  285 

I  know — especially  since  I  feel  the  nearness  of  my  two 
loved  ones.  You  see  how  impossible  your  request  is !" 

"How  can  you  make  your  existence  a  living  tomb!"  he 
protested. 

"Don't  you  see  that  it  is  no  tomb — that  the  two  live  for 
me!"  cried  Mrs.  Craigie.  "That  is  what  makes  life  bear- 
able. Do  not  be  impatient  with  me,  my  friend.  You 
won't  be  if  you  will  try  to  understand." 

The  gentleness  with  which  she  spoke  left  him  helpless, 
although  he  was  resentful  of  her  resignation.  He  decided 
to  be  as  patient  as  in  the  past.  Victory  might  finally  be 
his  reward  if  he  could  in  time  make  himself  indispensable 
to  her. 

As  he  was  about  to  go,  she  suddenly  put  her  hand  on 
her  heart  in  a  frightened  manner. 

"I — I  must  ask  a  favor  of  you,"  she  said. 

The  Colonel  bowed  with  his  customary  courtliness. 

"Do  not  come  to  see  me,"  she  asked.  "I  want  you  to 
count  me  among  the  dead.  I  must,  really,  insist  upon 
your  not  coming !"  There  was  passionate  command  in  her 
voice  when  she  cried,  "Somehow,  your  presence  here  seems 
treason  to  them  both !" 

The  words  rang  the  death-knell  of  his  hopes.  He  helped 
the  trembling  woman  gently  into  the  seat  from  which  she 
had  risen,  and  left  the  house.  There  was  never  to  be  erased 
from  his  memory  the  intensity  with  which  she  had  spoken 
her  words  of  dismissal,  nor  the  strange,  sweet  figure  she 
presented  as  she  stood  up,  her  slim  body  in  black,  her  eyes 
fixed  upon  another  world. 

After  the  passage  of  a  few  days,  she  was  able  to  send 
Mrs.  Mulholland  upon  an  errand,  for  which  she  could 
hardly  find  words.  Mrs.  Mulholland  redeemed  the  jewelry, 
and  Lenny's  things.  When  the  gold,  and  gems,  and  other 


286  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

valuables  were  once  more  in  Mrs.  Craigie's  possession,  she 
kept  only  those  which  the  Captain  had  given  her,  and 
Lenny's  belongings.  The  rest  was  sold,  and  the  proceeds 
distributed  to  charity. 

"What  better  use  could  I  make  of  them?"  she  had  asked 
herself.  "They  brought  him  destruction.  Now  let  them 
bring  some  poor  souls  a  little  happiness." 

She  remained  in  total  ignorance  of  both  Maur's  and  Jus- 
tin's knowledge  of  the  cause  of  the  tragedy.  Maur  was 
curious  enough  about  Lenny's  wrong-doing  to  attempt  to 
find  out  if  the  persons  from  whom  he  had  borrowed  money 
would  have  any  newspaper  comment  to  make  about  the  sui- 
cide. It  seemed  reasonable  to  him  that  reporters  should 
find  someone  who  would  talk,  particularly  because  of  the 
stir  the  suicide  had  created.  He  was  never  to  know  that 
the  only  large  creditor  was  Mrs.  Craigie  herself. 

But  to  his  surprise  and  disappointment  the  papers  did 
not  devote  considerable  space  to  Lenny's  death.  The  cur- 
tailing of  newspaper  notices  was  due  to  Justin.  Enlisting 
the  services  of  two  prominent  Philadelphians,  he  had  vis- 
ited newspaper  managers,  with  the  result  that  the  bereave- 
ment of  Mrs.  Craigie  was  neither  given  large  headlines  nor 
put  on  front  pages  after  the  first  issue  of  the  papers. 

Only  once  during  the  week  of  the  tragedy  did  Justin 
meet  Maur,  and  he  snubbed  the  stockbroker  with  a  direct- 
ness which  sent  the  color  rioting  to  the  tetter's  face.  After 
that  Justin  sought  to  put  him  out  of  his  mind.  He  was 
too  conscious  of  his  own  blame  in  the  matter  to  find  fault 
with  any  one  else. 

Little  time  was  left  him  to  ponder  what  had  occurred. 
At  a  stroke  he  had  entered  into  a  law  partnership  with  an 
able  man,  and  had  once  more  thrown  himself  actively 
into  politics.  At  first  all  his  work  entailed  the  greatest 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  287 

hardship,  for  a  single  reason — because  of  the  constant,  fev- 
erish longing  for  cigarettes. 

There  were  times  when  the  need  of  them  almost  drove 
him  frantic.  It  required  every  grain  of  will-power  he  pos- 
sessed to  pass  a  tobacco  store  without  entering;  and,  oddly, 
this  desire  produced  an  effect  akin  to  nausea.  During  this 
period  he  appeared  to  be  physically  losing  ground  rather 
than  gaining  it.  But  although  he  worried,  he  would  insist 
angrily : 

"I  won't  give  in,  even  if  it  kills  me!" 

He  was  observant  of  himself  sufficiently  to  soon  note  lit- 
tle changes  in  his  favor.  His  voice  grew  steadier,  and  his 
throat  did  not  trouble  him  as  much  as  in  the  past.  Before 
long  other  favorable  changes  began  to  manifest  themselves. 
His  fatigue  at  night  was  not  as  exhausting  as  formerly,  nor 
did  it  assume  the  form  of  extreme  nervousness.  He  found 
less  difficulty  in  looking  people  straight  in  the  eye.  The 
old-time  firmness  of  his  jaw  was  also  in  evidence. 

Then  other  signs  of  the  return  of  his  former  confident 
self  began  to  show  themselves.  He  ceased  to  quake  before 
getting  up  in  court.  He  did  not  easily  lose  his  temper 
with  opposing  attorneys,  but  "held  up  his  end"  composedly. 
The  springiness  of  his  step,  which  took  the  place  of  the 
lolling  walk  he  had  developed  in  the  last  half  dozen  years, 
once  more  evinced  the  athlete.  He  was  able  to  concentrate 
on  his  work  for  long  periods  of  time,  instead  of  finding  two 
hours  of  application  his  limit  of  endurance. 

Food  did  not  have  to  be  peculiarly  prepared  to  awaken 
his  appetite.  Nor  was  he  fearful  of  exposure  to  bad 
weather.  A  cold  day  lent  zest  to  a  walk  instead  of  merely 
furnishing  an  excuse  for  not  getting  out.  And  one  day 
he  stumbled  upon  the  fact  that  he  was  putting  on  weight. 

"By  George!"  he  said  with  a  happy  laugh,  "this  is  ser- 


288  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

ions !  It  won't  be  so  hard  to  make  people  believe  I  am  a 
success !" 

Although  he  did  not  tell  Gertrude  of  the  new  life  flow- 
ing through  his  veins,  nor  of  the  wonders  it  had  wrought, 
he  was  almost  driven  to  boasting  of  it  after  an  experience 
which  showed  that  his  cigarette  habit  had  at  last  been  con- 
quered. 

He  took  refuge,  by  accident,  in  the  door  of  a  tobacco 
store  during  a  severe  rain  storm.  The  odor  of  the  place, 
instead  of  attracting,  repelled  him.  Exclaiming,  "Thank 
God !"  he  hurried  away  with  an  exultant  heart. 

All  that  day  he  walked  about  as  if  on  wings. 

Gertrude  had  no  need  to  be  told  that  the  tide  was  setting 
in  his  direction.  She  saw  before  her  a  smiling,  optimistic 
man,  steady  of  gaze  and  decisive  of  speech,  who  radiated 
confidence,  who  daily  came  to  her  with  additional  proofs  of 
his  success  in  law,  and  whose  circle  of  friends  once  more 
included  men  of  strong  personality.  If  he  indulged  in  crit- 
icism of  individuals  now,  it  was  for  good  reasons,  and  not 
because  he  was  out  of  humor. 

In  the  peace  which  thus  came  to  Gertrude  she  arrived 
at  the  conclusion  that  there  was  a  great  gift  which  it  was 
in  her  power  to  bestow,  and  which  ought  not  to  be  held 
back  any  longer.  She  sent  a  servant  to  Trevor  one  day 
with  the  request  for  an  interview.  She  asked  that  this  take 
place  in  his  rooms. 

The  old  actor  was  thrown  into  a  flurry. 

"Gertrude  Breen  to  see  me  here !"  he  wondered.  He  was 
greatly  disturbed.  "  It  must  be  about  Conny,"  he  said. 
"She  must  want  Conny  to  do  something — and  believes  I 
have  more  influence  with  her.  My  poor  Conny.  It  was 
indeed  time  that  we  discussed  her  future!" 

When  Gertrude  came  up  he  was  waiting  at  the  head  of 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  289 

the  stairs.  Conducting  her  to  what  he  called  his  "library," 
he  moved  the  most  comfortable  seat  toward  her,  but  did 
not  himself  sit  down. 

"No!  No!  You  must  not  stand!"  she  said  hastily, 
greatly  embarrassed  by  his  display  of  humility.  "Please 
take  that  seat.  I  expect  to  stay  for  some  time — if  you  will 
let  me." 

After  he  had  seated  himself,  she  began, 

"I  have  come  to  talk  over  a  serious  matter,  one  which  has 
been  engaging  my  thoughts  ever  since  the  death  of  Leonard 
Craigie." 

For  the  first  time  since  he  had  known  her,  she  became 
confused  and  was  at  a  loss  for  words. 

"We  have  passed  through  a  trying  period,"  he  sought  to 
help  her,  wondering  whether  her  evident  distress  arose  from 
the  memory  of  Lenny's  act,  or  because  of  what  she  wished 
to  say. 

"Well," — Gertrude  drew  a  long  breath  as  she  spoke — 
"I  want  you  to  tell  Conny  that  you  are  her  father." 

Trevor  stood  up  with  staring  eyes,  his  mien  that  of  one 
who  had  been  very  much  frightened,  and  he  became  deathly 
pale.  Gertrude,  seeing  the  startling  effect  her  words  had 
produced,  also  rose  from  her  seat,  and  the  two  remained 
standing  during  the  entire  colloquy. 

"Aside  from  the  fact  that  you  have  been  like  a  father  to 
her  anyhow  during  your  entire  stay  here,"  said  Gertrude, 
"my  reason  for  having  Constance  know  the  truth  arises 
from  the  new  condition  we  are  facing.  It  is  certain  that 
Conny  concealed,  almost  from  herself,  the  love  she  bore  for 
Leonard  Craigie.  His  death  has  brought  it  to  light — as 
you  have  seen." 

"Yes,  yes,  I  have  seen  it,"  said  Trevor,  turning  away  to 


290  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

hide  the  tears  which  stole  down  his  cheeks.  "I  guessed  it 
long  before  that,  however." 

"You  saw  more  of  her  than  the  rest  of  us,"  said  Ger- 
trude. 

"And  because  I  knew,  his  death  was  a  two-fold  blow," 
Trevor  went  on,  shaken  by  his  grief.  "She  has  shown  re- 
markable strength  in  the  face  of  it — as  much  as  we  could 
expect  from  a  nature  of  her  sensitiveness  I" 

"Yes,  but  she  is  grieving,  and  going  over  to  Mrs.  Crai- 
gie's  where  she  grieves  the  more,  for  hours  at  a  time!" 
said  Gertrude.  "If  we  told  her  this  important  news,  it 
would  mean  much  to  her  just  now.  And  it  were  time  that 
you  spoke.  You  have  faithfully  kept  your  word — almost 
too  faithfully!  I  had  hoped  that  at  some  moment  you 
would  no  longer  be  able  to  hide  your  relationship  from 
her." 

Trevor  stood  bowed  in  thought  for  a  while.  Then  he 
lifted  his  head  to  say : 

"If  it  were  not  that  we  were  facing  a  serious  situation,  I 
might  refuse  to  tell  her  who  I  am.  Oh,  you  forget  what 
harm  I  have  done  you  and  yours !  You  forget !" 

"We  must  no  longer  deal  with  the  past,"  said  Gertrude 
gently.  "Let  us  give  all  our  thought  to  the  present  and 
the  future.  Let  us  do  what  we  can  with  the  living  moment 
rather  than  with  the  dead.  Do  you  not  agree  with  me  that 
your  telling  her  would  distract  her  mind  sufficiently  to  ease 
her  grief?" 

"I  feel  it  would,"  said  Trevor.  "But  I  am  afraid  of 
misunderstandings.  Unless  I  revealed  to  her  the  extent  of 
my  brutality  to  her  mother,  she  might  not  be  able  to  look 
at  things  in  the  right  light.  She  might  blame  both  you 
and  myself  for  the  silence  we  have  kept.  You  see,"  he  said 
apologetically,  "in  her  great  regard  for  me,  she  would  make 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  291 

the  childish  error  of  thinking  that  you  had  been  unkind — 
when  you  have  really  taken  the  most  proper  course  in  the 
world !  Oh,  you  know  I  cannot  thank  you  enough  for  what 
you  have  done  for  me " 

She  checked  him  with  a  hasty  "Please !"  Then  she  told 
him: 

"I  am  not  going  to  let  you  speak  to  her  about  your — 
your  difficulties  with  her  mother.  What  if  Conny  does  not 
understand  why  we  have  kept  silent  so  long?  It  would  be 
preferable  to  your  going  through  the  torture  of  raking  up 
the  past !  Oh,  I  cannot  allow  you  to  be  so  brutal  to  your- 
self !  No !  No !  Let  her  only  guess  what  has  been ! 
Bring  her  your  love,  for  she  loves  you  with  all  the  intensity 
of  a  daughter !" 

"I  would  rather  tell  her,"  Trevor  said  with  sudden  stub- 
bornness. "It  is  my  last  opportunity  to  punish  myself,  and 
I  must  seize  it !  What !  Shall  that  terrible  offense  against 
the  love  of  Marie  be  buried  out  of  sight  so  quickly?  You 
forget  my  brutality — my  criminal  brutality !  But  if  you 
are  kind  enough  to  overlook  it,  I  am  not !" 

"Oh,  but  this  is  dreadful!"  protested  Gertrude.  "It  ia 
almost  madness !  It  will  only  sadden  Conny,  and  undo  our 
wish  to  help  her !" 

"Perhaps  I  shall  not  make  the  blow  too  sudden  for  her," 
Trevor  compromised  somewhat.  "  But  she  shall  know,  never- 
theless— all  the  facts!  Why  should  she  remain  in  ig- 
norance of  them  ?  Would  I  not  be  living  a  lie  to  resort  to 
concealment?  I  am  certain  that  I  owe  it  to  Marie  to  be- 
gin my  new  relationship  with  Conny  by  telling  her  the 
truth!" 

"I  do  not  know  that  Marie  would  be  glad  about  what 
you  intend  to  do,"  said  Gertrude,  with  a  little  sob  for  the 
griefs  with  which  the  years  had  burdened  them.  "But  do 


292  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

as  you  see  fit.  My  responsibility  in  the  matter  is  at  an  end. 
You  are  Conny's  father.  I  give  her  into  your  hands  for 
all  time !  When  she  comes  back  from  Mrs.  Craigie's,  tell 
her.  I  need  not  advise  you  to  be  careful.  Your  love  for 
her  should  make  the  shock  easy  for  her  to  bear.  You  must 
soften  your  past  in  telling  her!  Be  merciful  to  yourself, 
as  well  as  to  her,  I  beg  of  you !" 

But  Trevor  was  unrelenting.  Gertrude  knew,  when  she 
gave  him  her  hand,  that  the  interview  between  him  and 
Conny  would  be  painful  to  both. 

"You  would  prefer  to  speak  to  her  alone,  I  suppose," 
she  said  resignedly.  "It  is  better  so,  since  I  could  not 
bear  to  be  a  spectator  of  the  scene." 

"I  would  not  be  worthy  of  calling  myself  her  father  if 
I  hid  the  truth  from  her!"  said  Trevor. 

He  followed  Gertrude  to  the  head  of  the  stairs  in  silence. 
When  she  was  ready  to  descend,  he  said: 

"Let  us  hope  that  this  day  will  usher  in  an  era  of  good 
understanding,  as  it  certainly  is  the  beginning  of  a  sincere 
relationship  between  us  all.  Harmony  will  mean  peace." 

"I  intend  that  it  should,"  she  told  him. 

There  were  tears  in  her  eyes  when  she  reached  her  rooms ; 
she  stood  quite  still  for  a  few  moments  in  wonder  of  the 
changes  which  time  had  wrought. 

"Poor  Marie !  Poor  Trevor !  Poor  Conny !  Poor  dad !" 
she  sighed.  Then  she  asked,  "Should  I  not  have  brought 
this  about  sooner?  Or  was  it  destined  that  his  confession 
should  come  at  a  time  when  Conny  most  needed  it  ?  Well, 
we  are  all  instruments  in  the  hands  of  God!  I  may  have 
acted  blindly,  but  I  sought  to  be  just,  even  as  Trevor  will 
be  just  when  he  tells  why  Marie  left  him.  Will  Conny  bear 
me  any  grudge  for  the  silence  I  imposed  upon  her  father?" 

Conny,    unaware     of     the     momentous     news     which 


THE  TYKANT  IN  WHITE  293 

awaited  her  on  her  return  home,  was  walking  back  very 
slowly  after  a  visit  to  Mrs.  Craigie.  She  fought  her  tears 
until  she  was  on  the  stairs  leading  to  her  "uncle's"  rooms 
Unwilling  to  grieve  him  by  showing  how  she  felt,  she  sat 
down  on  the  stairs,  and  had  her  cry  out.  By  that  time  she 
discovered  that  she  wished  to  be  alone.  This  was  a  new 
experience  in  Conny's  life.  But  the  changes  in  her  nature 
which  a  few  weeks  had  brought  had  been  many. 

Yet  when  she  entered  her  uncle's  rooms,  she  flew  into  the 
embrace  of  his  arms  with  a  sob  of  gladness.  Her  nearness 
left  him  helpless,  and  he  hardly  knew  how  to  begin  to  tell 
her  what  so  vitally  concerned  them  both. 

"Speak  to  me,"  she  said.  "I  am  so  lonely!  It  will  do 
me  good  to  hear  your  voice !  I  came  here  for  that." 

"I  do  want  to  speak  to  you,  Constance,"  he  said.  "Won't 
you  go  over  to  that  chair  ?  I  want  to  talk  to  you  about  a 
most  important  thing." 

"Why  can't  I  sit  alongside  of  you?  Let  me,"  she 
pleaded.  "I  must  hold  your  hand,  so  as  to  feel  that  you 
are  near  me!" 

"No,  not  this  time,  Constance,"  he  said  gently.  "Here, 
let  me  fix  some  cushions  for  you.  So!  Now  you  are  go- 
ing to  hear  a  strange  story.  And  you  must  sit  still,  and 
not  disturb  me !" 

Curiosity  quieted  Conny.  When  Trevor  was  ready  to 
speak,  he  was  vividly  reminded  of  his  experience  during 
"first  nights"  of  new  plays  when  he  had  to  combat  great 
nervousness. 

"What  I  have  to  say  will  sadden  you,"  he  began.  "I 
wish  with  all  my  heart  that  it  could  be  helped.  But  you 
have  faced  greater  sorrow  than  this;  so  you  have,  in  a 
measure,  been  prepared  for  this  new  trial.  Be  patient  with 
what  you  hear." 


294  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"There  was  a  man,"  he  commenced  his  recital,  "whose 
ambition  knew  no  bounds.  He  lived  in  a  narrow  world 
which  shut  out  God's  light  from  his  soul.  He  wanted  his 
name  to  ring  out  over  land  and  sea.  He  wanted  his  voice 
to  subjugate  men  and  women.  A  gesture  was  to  make 
them  thrill.  They  were  to  laugh  when  he  smiled,  to  cry 
when  he  was  sad. 

"In  this  struggle  for  mastery,  everything  else  became  of 
little  importance.  He  lived  only  for  applause  and  praise. 
These  were  food  to  him,  his  guiding  light,  his  all-in-all. 
He  sought  to  turn  the  whole  world  into  a  song  of  laudation. 
A  day  had  no  existence  unless  he  saw  in  print  his  name 
coupled  with  eulogies  of  his  genius,  or  heard  the  roar  of 
approval  from  audiences.  He  shook  with  frightful  jeal- 
ousy when  this  praise  fell  to  others.  He  looked  upon  those 
who  shared  in  the  praise  as  enemies." 

Conny  gasped,  "What  a  madman  !  Did  he  ever  think  of 
loving  any  one?  For  that  would  have  made  it  all  differ- 
ent!" 

"Would  it?"  said  Trevor  sadly.  "Let  us  see  if  it  did! 
Into  the  desert  of  selfishness  which  surrounded  him  came 
a  flower,  a  most  glorious  one,  with  which  a  hero  might 
have  been  proud  to  adorn  his  brow !  But  if  this  man  placed 
it  there,  it  was  only  with  the  thought  of  winning  thereby 
more  attention.  That  flower  was  to  serve  no  other  pur- 
pose than  to  bring  him  more  of  the  much-coveted  praise — 
by  making  him  more  conspicuous.  He  would  have  put  it 
under  foot  if  it  would  have  served  the  same  purpose." 

"Oh!"  cried  Conny,  guessing  that  this  flower  was  a 
woman. 

"And  when  the  delicate,  fragile,  exquisite  flower."  he 
went  on,  "asked  to  be  loved  rather  than  to  feed  a  mad  am- 
bition  " 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  295 

"He  flung  it  away !"  Conny  finished  for  him  in  a  tone  of 
horror. 

Trevor  did  not  face  her  as  he  continued,  "The  girl  who 
came  to  him — it  was  her  destiny  to  live  the  brief  life  of  a 
flower  because  of  his  brutality,  and  to  never  know  a  ray  of 
sunshine  because  his  selfishness  made  everything  about  him 
dark  and  miserable." 

"And  he — did  he  never  come  to  realize  what  he  lost?" 
asked  Conny,  the  tears  large  in  her  eyes. 

"When  he  came  to  know,  it  was  too  late.  The  flower 
was  dead !  Oh,  my  God !  My  flower  was  dead !"  cried 
Trevor,  burying  his  face  in  his  hands,  and  sobbing  out 
aloud. 

Conny  could  infer  only  one  thing  from  these  words — 
that  the  girl  who  had  suffered  had  been  her  uncle's  own 
child. 

"She  came  back  to  your  arms  to  die?"  she  asked  timidly. 

"What?"  said  Trevor.  Then  as  he  caught  her  mistake, 
he  cried,  "Can  you  not  guess  that  it  was  I  who  crushed 
out  the  life  of  that  flower  ?" 

Conny  shrank  back  and  whispered,  "Oh,  it  is  impossi- 
ble !  I  can't  believe  it !  That  is  not  like  you !  You,  of 
all  persons!  You  are  trying  to  test  me — to  see  if  I  be- 
lieve in  you !" 

"Ah,  my  story  is  not  ended,"  said  Trevor  sadly.  "Be- 
fore that  flower  died,  a  tiny  flower,  much  like  herself,  was 
in  her  arms.  My  Constance,  my  Constance,  you  were  that 
flower !  You  are  the  daughter  of  that  madman  !  You  are 
my  own  child!  It  was  I  who  brought  your  mother — that 
perfect  flower — the  grief  I  have  pictured  to  you!  Yes,  I 
am  your  father!  And  now  you  know!" 

Had  Trevor,  in  his  career  as  an  actor,  gone  through  a 
scene  with  the  pathos  he  threw  into  these  last  words,  the 


296  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

fame  for  which  he  had  hungered  in  those  days  would 
never  have  been  withheld.  But  his  tone  and  gesture  just 
then  were  not  studied.  He  was  too  overwhelmed  by  emo- 
tion to  act. 

Conny  stood  as  if  rooted.     Finally  she  murmured: 

"My  father!" 

"Yes,"  he  said.  "I  punished  myself  for  that  past 
cruelty  by  keeping  silent  about  the  fact.  But  I  had  to 
come  here — to  be  near  you.  It  was  not  brave  of  me  to 
come  at  all.  Oh,  how  hard  it  has  been  to  be  here,  to  love 
you,  and  to  say  nothing  of  our  relationship  !  But  now  that 
I  have  told  you,  I  am  not  so  sure  that  I  have  done  well  to 
break  the  silence !  For  I  feel  that  your  love  is  a  thin?  of 
the  past !" 

"But — but  you  cannot  be  the  same  man !"  said  Conny, 
her  hands  on  her  heart — "You  who  are  kind,  and  thought- 
ful, and  considerate,  and  so  fine!  And  he! " 

"He  was  a  monster,  nothing  less!"  said  Trevor,  prepar- 
ing himself  for  a  terrible  blow.  Not  until  that  moment 
did  he  learn  how  the  years  had  sapped  his  strength;  and 
he  had  to  hold  on  tightly  to  the  chair  against  which  he  was 
leaning,  that  he  might  not  fall. 

"But — but  I  love  you!"  said  Conny  helplessly.  "And 
nothing  you  have  told  me  seems  to  make  any  difference 
about  my  love  for  you !" 

She  had  made  things  more  difficult  for  Trevor  than  if 
she  had  denied  his  right  to  her  love. 

"But  you  should  allow  it  to  make  a  difference!"  he  told 
her  unsteadily. 

"How  can  I  after  you  have  been  so  good  to  me,  after 
you  have  made  me  so  happy — and  Lenny,  too !" 

"Yet  I  am  the  man  who  was  responsible  for  the  terrible 
grief  your  mother  had  to  bear !"  he  insisted. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  297 

There  was  a  seemingly  long  interval  of  silence.  He 
hardly  dared  to  breathe  as  he  waited.  Suddenly  Conny 
clasped  her  hands,  and  cried: 

"But  mother  must  have  forgiven  you — because  you,  too, 
have  suffered  !  Oh,  I  know  you  have !  You  couldn't  love 
me  as  much  as  you  do,  and  not  suffer!  Yes!  Yes! 
Mother  has  surely  forgiven  you !" 

Trevor  turned  away  abruptly  that  Conny  might  not  see 
his  tears.  His  heaving  shoulders  told  her  that  he  was  cry- 
ing. In  a  twinkling  two  arms  were  about  his  neck; 

"Don't,  father!"  she  begged.  "I  know  how  it  feels 
when  one's  heart  hurts  and  hurts !  Oh,  yes,  I  know !  Dear, 
dear  father !  For  now  you  are  really  that !" 

As  the  full  meaning  of  the  word  she  had  used  grew  upon 
her,  she  clung  to  him  with  a  feeling  of  awe.  At  last  he 
took  her  in  his  arms,  and  they  held  to  each  other,  and  tried 
to  accustom  themselves  to  their  new  relationship.  Then 
her  father  asked: 

"Will  you  let  me  remain  with  you?  Do  you  think  you 
could  bear  to  have  me  near  after  you  realize  how  terrible  the 
past  has  been  ?" 

"Let  you  remain?"  she  cried.  "Why,  you  are  always  to 
be  near  me !  Always !"  She  added  gravely,  "but  you  and 
I  are  not  to  stay  here.  Do  you  know  what  we  are  going  to 
do  ?  We  will  get  some  little  place,  and  have  a  home  of  our 
own !  A  real  home !  For  you  and  me !  Where  we  will 
be  able  to  do  lots  of  reading.  And  we  will  have  a  garden. 
And  you  will  sit  at  the  head  of  the  table.  Could  there  be 
anything  finer,  father?" 

"There  could  be  nothing  finer  than  a  chance  to  make  you 
happy,"  he  said. 

"Ah,  you  are  going  to !"  she  said.     "I  want  so  much  to 


298  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

be  made  happy !"  As  she  nestled  closer  to  him,  she  told 
him  with  a  sigh,  "I  feel  so  tired-ish!" 

Suddenly  she  started. 

"But  we  haven't  told  aunt !"  she  cried.  Then  she  awoke 
to  the  fact  that  Gertrude  must  have  known  all  along. 

"It  was  she  who  urged  me  to  do  this,"  said  Trevor.  "She 
is  a  wonderful  woman.  What  do  you  not  owe  to  her !" 

"Yes,  yes,  I  know!"  said  Conny.  "But  she  and  Justin 
must  be  alone  after  they  marry.  And  that  will  be  soon. 
So  you  and  I,  dear  dad,  are  going  to  have  a  home  of  our 
own.  There  everything  will  be  quiet.  Very  quiet.  And 
you  must  keep  me  from  being  afraid  when  I  think  of — 
Lenny!" 

"Ah,  but  you  are  going  to  learn  to  smile  again,"  said  her 
father  abruptly,  to  break  the  spell  of  sadness  which  held 
her  in  its  grip. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  will  ever  be  able  to,"  she  replied. 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  a  maid  asked  whether 
they  preferred  to  have  dinner  served  where  they  were. 

"Tell  my  aunt  yes,  if  she  doesn't  mind,"  said  Conny. 

"Wasn't  that  dearly  thoughtful  of  her!"  she  cried  when 
the  maid  had  shut  the  door. 

"She  will  not  be  happy  about  your  going  away  to  live 
by  yourself,"  said  her  father. 

"That  can't  be  helped.  But  let  us  not  talk  any  more. 
You  must  be  very  tired."  And  Conny  placed  a  pillow  un- 
der his  head. 

A  ray  of  sunlight  fell  athwart  his  face.  Conny  noted  the 
many  wrinkles,  the  weary,  sad  eyes,  and  the  hollow  cheeks. 
Pity  and  love  overwhelmed  her.  How  old  he  looked !  How 
broken !  What  a  storm-tossed  soul  his  had  been ! 

"Yes,"  said  Conny  to  herself,  "I  must  learn  to  smile! 
Soon!" 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Into  the  home  which  Conny  created  for  herself  and  her 
father  came  many  of  her  former  suitors.  They  found  her 
very  changed,  and  could  not  accustom  themselves  to  her 
long  spells  of  silence.  The  new  way  in  which  she  ad- 
dressed the  worn,  nervous  man  who  occupied  the  places  of 
honor  at  the  pretty  house  was  another  feature  that  filled 
them  with  surprise — as  much  so  as  the  fact  that  she  had 
gone  into  a  home  of  her  own. 

If  they  thought  that  the  last  was  the  result  of  any  dif- 
ferences with  Gertrude,  they  were  soon  disabused  of  the 
idea,  for  Gertrude  was  often  to  be  seen  at  the  house,  and 
was  always  affectionately  received.  Yet  she  was  frequently 
left  unhappy  after  these  visits.  She  told  Justin : 

"Conny  does  not  seem  to  be  getting  back  to  her  old  self 
at  all !  You  must  have  noticed  that  far-away  look  of 
hers." 

"Not  when  I  am  around !  I  get  her  talking  about  the 
flowers  she  is  to  plant  in  her  garden,"  he  said,  "or  about 
her  father's  new  books.  Catch  me  sitting  silent  in  that 
place!" 

"Yes,  but  I  am  dreaming  of  a  completer  sort  of  home  for 
her!"  said  Gertrude;  "where  a  man  will  restore  her  gay- 
heartedness,  and  where  her  beauty  will  shine  with  a  whole- 
some power,  and  not  be  eaten  up  by  sadness.  I  want  my 
Conny  happy — the  Conny  I  gave  so  many  years  to!" 


300  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

"Perhaps  she  would  not  remain  so  unhappy  if  she  did 
not  keep  visiting  Mrs.  Craigie,"  Justin  suggested. 

"Oh,  I  could  not  speak  to  her  about  that!"  cried  Ger- 
trude. 

Conny  visited  the  bereaved  mother  every  day.  Their 
talk  at  first  would  deal  with  Conny's  housekeeping,  but  it 
would  always  slowly  veer  about  until  one  of  them  found 
courage  to  speak  Lenny's  name,  and  then  both  women 
would  be  left  too  tremulous  for  words. 

Once  Mrs.  Craigie  suggested  that  Conny  and  her  father 
should  come  to  live  with  her.  The  girl  shrank  from  the 
thought  of  being  constantly  in  the  presence  of  so  many 
reminders  of  Lenny.  Mrs.  Craigie  guessed  the  reason  for 
the  silence  with  which  her  offer  was  met,  and  said : 

"I  should  not  have  asked  it.  I  keep  forgetting  that  you 
are  but  a  child,  and  that  sorrow  has  laid  its  hand  too  heav- 
ily on  you  as  it  is." 

"Be  sure  that  I  will  always  be  near  you,"  said  Conny,  aa 
she  kissed  the  white  brow  on  which  lines  were  already  show- 
ing themselves. 

They  were  saved  from  the  pain  of  continuing  the  trying 
talk  by  the  maid's  entrance  with  Justin's  name. 

His  visits  to  Lenny's  mother  were  a  great  trial  to  him, 
and  he  came  only  at  long  intervals,  depending  upon  Ger- 
trude to  atone  for  this  by  frequent  visits  of  her  own.  He 
was  less  backward  about  going  to  Conny,  who  always 
brightened  perceptibly  when  he  came.  As  soon  as  spring 
was  fully  ushered  in,  both  devoted  themselves  to  her  gar- 
den. Justin  found  many  spare  moments  in  which  to 
throw  off  his  coat  and  to  handle  a  spade. 

"It  is  all  the  exercise  I  get,"  he  said  when  Conny  one 
day  protested  against  his  neglect  of  his  work  in  town. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  301 

"But  I  don't  see  how  you  can  spare  the  time,"  she  said, 
"with  your  politics  and  law  !" 

"Ah,"  he  said,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "I  am  even  go- 
ing to  find  time  to  get  married  soon.  So  there  you  are ! 
I  tell  you,  there's  nothing  of  the  idler  about  me !"  he  added 
with  a  laugh. 

He  had  said  to  Gertrude  that  very  day :  "Let  us  make  it 
September.  I  want  to  feel  that  I  have  covered  considerable 
ground  in  my  work;  and  by  fall  I'll  have  something  to 
show  for  what  I  am  doing.  Although  things  are  moving 
astonishingly  well,  I  don't  want  to  slow  up.  I  want  to  go 
right  on  all  summer.  You  are  not  to  talk  to  me  about  tak- 
ing a  vacation.  I  feel  this  year  that  I  can  do  without  one." 

And  as  Gertrude  noted  the  suggestion  of  healthy  color  on 
the  cheeks  which  had  been  white  for  many  months,  she 
breathed,  "Thank  God!" 

He  was  always  bringing  her  happy  surprises.  On  one 
occasion  he  told  her : 

"I  have  come  across  a  most  clever  young  chap — found 
him  making  his  way  through  a  preparatory  school  on  the 
quiet  while  working  at  the  Lotus  Club.  He  was  interested 
in  law.  I  told  him  that  I  would  take  him  into  the  office, 
so  that  he  would  have  time  to  study  and  be  near  law  books, 
while  at  the  same  time  his  income  would  be  boosted  a  bit. 
But  I  attached  a  condition." 

"I  can  guess  it!"  said  Gertrude  with  a  happy  smile. 

"Of  course,  I  knew  you  would!  Yes,  I  insisted  he  was 
to  quit  smoking.  If  he  didn't,  our  bargain  was  off!  He 
has  given  up  his  cigarettes,  and  it  is  interesting  to  watch 
the  fight  he  is  putting  up  against  the  habit.  I'm  on  the 
spot  to  help.  I  have  promised  myself  that  when  I  get  a 
bigger  say  in  public  affairs — and  I  don't  think  that  time  is 
as  far  distant  as  it  was — I'll  help  to  make  it  an  offence  to 


302  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

sell  cigarettes.  Drink  don't  compare  with  it,  for  no  one 
goes  around  sipping  from  a  flask  in  the  open  highway, 
while  a  mere  child  will  puff  away  at  a  cigarette,  and  be 
proud  of  it!" 

"Do  you  think  Lenny's  mother  knows  what  was  really 
responsible  for  his  death?"  Gertrude  asked  for  the  first 
time,  softly,  so  as  not  to  wound  Justin. 

"No,"  he  said,  drawing  a  long  breath.  "It  seems  that 
one  of  the  curses  of  the  cigarette  is  the  tendency  it  has  of 
getting  its  victims  to  make  light  of  its  effect  upon  them. 
Yet  I  forgot  that  Lenny  knew,  and  that  he  told  Conny !" 

Justin  often  pondered,  "Did  his  mother  ever  learn  how 
the  large  sum  of  money  was  spent  ?  Does  she  know  about 
the  sums  he  received  from  Bob  Maur  ?" 

That  man  studiously  avoided  passing  Mrs.  Craigie's 
home  when  he  went  to  the  station  in  the  morning  on  his 
way  to  business.  This,  however,  ceased  when  he  invested 
in  an  automobile.  During  his  visits  to  Conny,  he  never 
mentioned  either  Leonard's  name  or  that  of  Mrs.  Craigie. 

He  carried  his  well-groomed  person  into  the  small  home 
with  a  proud  air,  and  overlooked  the  indifferent  reception 
accorded  him.  Conny  would  have  met  him  with  greater 
friendliness  if  the  purpose  of  his  visits  had  not  been  ap- 
parent to  her.  As  soon  as  he  discovered  this,  he  pretended 
that  for  the  time  being  he  was  not  bent  on  doing  any 
courting,  but  he  could  not  altogether  conceal  his  love. 

Despite  his  care,  on  one  occasion  his  impatience  with 
Conny's  grief  for  Leonard  almost  cost  him  his  standing 
in  the  house.  He  had  allowed  himself  to  comment  on  the 
sombre  clothes  which  Conny  were,  which  were  in  marked 
contrast  to  the  gay  attire  of  which  she  had  been  so  fond  in 
the  past. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  303 

"You  know,  oh,  you  must  surely  know  why  I  wear  this !" 
Conny  said. 

"But  it  is  impossible  to  be  happy  about  you  while  you 
cover  yourself  with  hideous  things  like  that !"  he  replied. 

Conny's  eyes  flashed. 

"Your  visits  pain  me,"  she  said  sternly. 

At  once  he  was  on  his  knees  in  apology.  When  this  did 
not  appease  her,  he  blurted  out: 

"You  will  yet  learn  that  I,  too,  was  his  friend,  and  that 
I  tried  to  help  him  in  that  critical  period.  Don't  be  pre- 
judiced against  me,  Conny.  You  have  always  been  so  fair ! 
If  I  am  impatient,  it  is  not  out  of  a  desire  to  be  unkind  to 
his  memory.  You  will  never  know  how  close  to  each  other 
he  and  I  came.  If  he  had  only  listened  to  me !" 

Startled  by  his  words,  she  asked  him  to  tell  her  more. 

"No,  I  cannot — out  of  respect  for  his  memory,"  he  re- 
plied; and  so  silenced  her,  although  he  had  at  a  bound 
risen  in  her  esteem. 

As  a  result,  his  visits  grew  more  frequent,  but  were 
timed  so  as  not  to  conflict  with  those  of  Justin.  One  after- 
noon, however,  the  latter  came  at  an  unexpected  hour  to 
get  through  some  spading  in  Conny's  garden,  and  was  sur- 
prised to  find  Maur  lounging  familiarly  in  the  sitting- 
room. 

"Conny  ought  to  be  here  any  moment,"  said  Maur,  sup- 
pressing a  yawn.  His  careless  air,  though,  was  assumed. 
In  reality,  he  was  taking  stock  of  the  changes  in  Justin, 
and  was  much  surprised  at  that  man's  somewhat  robust 
appearance. 

Justin  was  about  to  turn  on  his  heel  and  to  give  himself 
to  the  work  for  which  he  had  come,  when  Maur  interposed : 

"I'd  like  to  have  a  talk  with  you,  Mahan,  if  you'll  sit 
down.  Don't  hurry  off!" 


304  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"I  can't  imagine  what  you  would  want  to  say  to  me,  Mr. 
Maur,"  came  in  chilly  tones. 

"Well,  1  can't  imagine  why  you  should  go  up  in  the  air 
the  moment  I  look  at  you!"  Maur  exclaimed  resentfully. 
Then  he  claimed,  "Why,  I  was  telling  my  partner  only  to- 
day that  you  were  just  the  man  for  some  work  we  have ! 
You're  mistaken  about  me — entirely!  And  you  are  the 
last  man  I  would  believe  capable  of  petty  prejudices,  too !" 

"Thank  you,"  said  Justin.  He  almost  lost  his  temper 
when  he  declared,  "I  haven't  the  least  desire  to  do  any  of 
your  work  or  your  partner's.  It  isn't  because  I  happen  to 
know  of  some  crookedness  of  your  firm,  either." 

"That's  a  lie!"  shouted  Maur,  growing  scarlet. 

"Well,  since  one  of  my  clients  happened  to  be  involved, 
you  will  find  out  in  a  few  days  whether  I  am  lying  or  not," 
said  Justin,  quite  calm  now.  "I  imagine  you  wanted  me 
to  defend  you  in  just  that  suit  when  you  suggested  my 
name  to  your  partner.  But  my  wish  to  have  nothing  to 
do  with  you  outside  of  a  court-room  springs  from  other 
causes.  However,  I  have  no  desire  just  now  to  discuss  my 
reasons  for  disliking  you.  Good-by!" 

"Oh,  I  know  how  happy  you  are  to  think  that  you  have 
caught  me  tripping  in  business !"  sneered  Maur.  "But  if 
you  make  out  a  case  against  me,  I  will  give  five  thousand 
dollars  to  any  charity  organization  you  may  name.  Your 
clients  are  pretty  nearly  on  a  par  with  you  in  intelligence. 
Just  because  Mr.  Jermon  got  squeezed  on  the  market — but 
why  should  I  argue  with  you?  You're  an  example  of 
blind  prejudice !" 

"It  may  be  that  my  client  will  not  be  able  to  make  out  a 
good  case  against  you,"  said  Justin.  "And  I  would  be 
the  last  one  to  give  a  man  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  because 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  305 

he  was  my  client.  But  where  it  concerns  you,  I  have  rea- 
son to  believe  that  he  may  not  be  very  far  in  the  wrong." 

"And  what  the  devil  may  that  reason  be?"  cried  Maur. 
"It's  fortunate  that  we  are  in  this  house,  or  you'd  have 
to  mend  your  speech !  If  I  didn't  respect  Conny,  I  might 
have  a  hard  time  forgetting  in  whose  house  I  was !" 

"Oh,  you  do  respect  something!"  said  Justin.  "I  imag- 
ine that  is  rather  trying.  As  for  making  me  mend  my 
speech,  are  you  not  afraid  that  if  you  tried,  it  might  make 
things  very  hard  for  you  ?  But  suppose  we  close  the  inci- 
dent without  any  further  parley." 

"You're  mysterious  now,  aren't  you?"  Maur  snapped. 
"But  I  have  very  little  fear  of  you.  I  never  was  afraid  of 
a  man  who  was  fond  of  people  without  character,  who  was 
sentimental  about  nobodies,  and  an  enemy  of  those  who 
stand  on  their  own  feet.  That  is  the  reason  you  dislike 
me !  You  are  prejudiced  against  people  who  get  along. 
Well,  I  am  proud  that  you  cannot  call  me  your  friend! 
Continue  to  swear  by  weaklings !  Although  in  one  case  it 
didn't  help  one  person !" 

"So!"  cried  Justin,  growing  pale.  He  wondered  if 
Lenny  had  told  this  man  what  he  had  told  Conny.  He 
doubted  it.  But  Justin  now  felt  that  only  one  course  was 
open  to  him — to  show  Maur  that  he  was  partially  to  blame 
for  Lenny's  death.  Justin  was  confident  that  but  for 
Maur's  loans  Lenny  would  never  have  gone  as  far  as  he 
did. 

As  the  two  men  faced  each  other,  Justin  knew  there 
was  no  going  back  now.  The  fight  was  on  to  a  finish.  "It 
it  will  save  Conny  from  him,  it  will  have  served  some  pur* 
pose !"  he  reflected.  He  said  to  Maur : 

"As  long  as  you  did  not  drag  in  Leonard  Craigie,  I 
could  have  let  everything  pass.  But  we  have  gone  too  far 


306  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

to  recede.  It  was  Lenny  you  meant.  Denial  would  be  of 
little  use,  for  it  seems  that  the  dead  as  well  as  the  living 
must  serve  your  purpose !" 

"I  don't  know  what  you  are  talking  about,"  said  Maur. 
"Of  course,  if  you  want  to  discuss  Lenny  Craigie,  why,  go 
ahead.  I  can  guess  what  your  oratory  will  consist  of. 
You'll  make  me  out  a  sort  of  devil,  because  you  believe  he 
was  a  sort  of  angel.  Well,  go  ahead!  We  might  as  well 
quarrel  until  Conny  comes." 

His  show  of  patience  exasperated  Justin,  who  cried : 

"No  one  is  assuming  Leonard  to  have  been  an  angel! 
Don't  make  comparisons  like  that,  or  I'll  make  one.  Sup- 
pose I  say  that  you  tried  to  play  angel  to  Lenny's  devil ! 
How  does  that  strike  you?" 

"As  an  attempt  to  be  smart,  if  not  impertinent!"  Maur 
replied,  somewhat  uneasily. 

"I'll  make  it  clearer,  then.  Suppose  you  let  me  do 
what  I  have  wanted  to  do  for  some  time — to  pay  you  back 
the  money  Lenny  borrowed  from  you."  Maur  started. 
Justin  pretended  not  to  notice  this,  and  went  on,  "I  did 
not  care  to  approach  you  about  it  before,  because  explana- 
tions would  have  been  necessary,  and  I  was  afraid  of  losing 
my  temper.  But  we  might  as  well  have  it  out  right  here. 
I  do  not  suppose  Mrs.  Craigie  knew  of  her  son's  indebted- 
ness to  you " 

"If  you  are  so  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  facts," 
Maur  broke  in,  coming  quite  close,  and  speaking  in  a  low 
but  mocking  voice,  "Why  didn't  you  lend  him  the  two 
thousand  dollars?" 

"Because  it  was  too  late!"  said  Justin.  "Perhaps  you 
think  Lenny  came  to  me,  and  made  a  clean  breast  of  his 
difficulties !  If  he  had  done  so  in  time,  he  would  be  alive 
to-day.  I'll  tell  you  how  I  found  out.  I  was  in  the  Lotus 


THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE  30? 

Club  when  he  and  you  met  by  appointment.  What  is 
more,  I  was  in  the  next  room !  That  is  how  I  got  to  know 
of  the  peculiar  way  in  which  you  were  helping  Lenny." 

Maur,  agitated,  stepped  back. 

"So  you  listened,  did  you?"  was  all  he  could  say. 

"Such  a  thing  must  sound  very  dishonorable  to  you," 
Justin  replied.  "But,  in  reality,  I  didn't  mean  to  be  lis- 
tening! I  was  dozing  in  the  next  room  when  your  voices 
aroused  me.  Of  course,  after  I  got  the  gist  of  Lenny's 
difficulty,  I  was  not  going  to  run  away !  Oh,  if  I  had  only 
known  sooner !  Why  didn't  he  come  to  me  ?  Why  didn't 
he  remember  that  I  was  his  friend  ?" 

He  hardly  saw  the  man  before  him  as  he  gave  vent  to  his 
grief  in  these  words.  Maur  asked  defiantly : 

"What  else  have  you  got  to  say  to  me  ?  I  think  I've  had 
enough  of  your  posing!" 

"I  have  only  one  more  thing  to  say,"  Justin  told  him. 
Then  he  got  out  in  icy  tones,  "  I  have  been  wondering  ever 
since  that  day  at  the  Lotus  Club  how  you  came  to  lend 
Leonard  Craigie  money.  It  is  because  I  don't  believe  in 
your  honesty  that  I  have  had  certain  suspicions  about  your 
motives  in  opening  your  purse  to  him.  I  will  be  glad  if 
you  will  offer  some  explanation  of  your  friendship  for 
Lenny — for  you  made  it  clear  some  moments  ago  that  you 
fairly  detest  the  memory  of  him.  How  much  more  then 
must  you  have  hated  him  when  he  was  alive!" 

Maur  cried  furiously,  "When  you  say  I  had  some  crooked 
reason  for  lending  him  money,  you  lie !  No  one,  except 
with  a  mind  as  foul  as  yours,  could  manufacture  such  a 
charge!  Why  should  I  not  have  loaned  him  small  sums 
when  he  came  whining  to  me?  And  why  should  I  not 
have  refused  to  lend  him  two  thousand  dollars  in  a  lump 
sum  ?  I  did  want  to  do  him  a  favor.  But  when  I  guessed 


308  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

where  the  money  was  going,  and  saw  that  there  was  a 
chance  of  trouble  which  might  involve  me,  I  was  done  with 
him !  So  would  you  have  been !  You  may  believe  what 
I  have  told  you,  or  you  may  not !  But  I  repeat  that  your 
foul  insinuations  could  only  come  from  a  coward !  If  you 
ever  make  them  public,  I  will  horsewhip  you !  I  am  not 
afraid  of  you,  Justin  Mahan !" 

Instead  of  losing  his  temper,  Justin  sought  to  gain  the 
upper  hand  by  coolly  driving  home  certain  facts. 

"Despite  all  your  fine  words,"  he  said,  "I  cannot  be  con- 
vinced that  you  did  not  gloat  over  Lenny's  predicament 
that  day  at  the  Lotus  Club.  I  can  hear  even  now  the  tones 
in  which  you  mocked  at  him !  It  is  true  that  I  can  prove 
nothing.  But  I  could  take  my  oath  that  you  just  played 
with  him  that  afternoon  for  the  fun  of  it.  It  was  done 
with  a  brutality  which  horrifies  me  as  I  look  back !  Against 
your  fine  phrases  I  have  only  to  pit  the  way  in  which  you 
spoke  to  him,  and  I  am  satisfied  that  I  have  done  you  no 
injustice.  So  how  can  I  believe  that  you  meant  well  when 
you  loaned  him  the  money?  And  now  I  am  ready  to  pay 
whatever  the  sum  amounted  to.  You  have  only  to  name 
the  figure!" 

"You  hound,  you  lie  when  you  say  I  had  a  double  mo- 
tive !"  cried  Maur.  "  Come  outside,  and  you  will  get  some- 
thing else  than  money  to  remember  this  by,  you  sneak !  I 
tell  you,  you  are  a  liar!  And  I  will  make  you  admit  it 
before  we  leave  this  house !" 

Both  grew  tense  as  they  realized  that  a  third  person  had 
come  into  the  room.  They  remembered,  as  Conny  stood 
before  them,  that  they  had  spoken  very  loudly,  and  that 
their  voices  must  have  carried  to  the  hall  below  where 
Conny  had  most  likely  overheard  them. 

"Did  he  die  because  of  the  need  of  money?"  she  asked 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  309 

plaintively.  Then  she  grieved,  "He  did  not  come  to  me 
when  I  could  have  helped  him !  And  he  could  have  come ! 
Why  didn't  he?  I  could  have  saved  him!  Oh,  that  he 
should  have  killed  himself  for  want  of  money!" 

"It  can  do  no  good  to  talk  about  it  now,"  said  Justin 
gently.  "You  are  not  alone  in  your  regret  of  his  refusal 
to  come  to  his  friends  when  they  could  have  helped  him." 

Conny  turned  upon  Maur. 

"Can  it  be  true  that  you  maliciously  lent  Leonard 
money?"  she  asked.  "Because  I  could  never  look  in  your 
face  again  with  that  hanging  over  you!  Why,  it  is  hor- 
rible !" 

"You  heard  me  say  that  he  lied,  did  you  not  ?"  was  the 
reply.  "This  man,  for  some  reason  or  other,  does  not  like 
me;  so  he  invents  this  terrible  fiction.  It's  a  fearful 
charge !  He  will  yet  withdraw  it,  if  I  have  my  way !" 

"But  why  should  Lenny  ever  have  gone  to  you  for 
money?"  she  demanded.  "You  and  he  never  got  along. 
You  fairly  hated  each  other !" 

"His  letters  to  me,  written  just  before  he  died,  will  show 
the  very  opposite,"  said  Maur.  "Remember,  I  did  lend 
him  money!  While  you  will  find  out,  for  the  mere  ask- 
ing, that  Justin  Mahan,  Lenny's  supposed  friend,  did  not 
come  forward  with  the  necessary  funds  which  would  have 
saved  him  from  suicide !  Why  does  he  keep  harping  on  my 
unkindness  and  overlook  that  fact?" 

Conny  turned  glazed  eyes  upon  Justin,  and  her  startled 
look  hurried  him  into  words  quicker  than  the  accusation 
itself. 

"My  conscience  is  clear  on  that  score,"  he  said;  "and 
this  man's  guess,  thank  God,  is  wrong!  I  did  draw  two 
thousand  dollars  from  my  bank  within  a  few  hours  after 


310  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

discovering  Lenny's  predicament.     But  it  was  useless  for 
his  purpose  then.     He  should  have  had  it  a  day  before." 

"Of  course,  we  will  have  to  take  your  word  for  that!" 
said  Maur  quickly,  his  manner  very  incredulous. 

"Not  at  all,"  Justin  replied.  "I  have  proofs  of  the 
help  I  wished  to  extend  Lenny.  Here  are  the  keys  to  my 
desk.  In  one  of  the  drawers  you  will  find  my  check-book. 
My  check-stubs  will  show  that  I  drew  two  thousand  dollars 
from  my  bank  on  the  day  of  the  suicide.  I  returned  it  on 
the  next.  The  money  had  come  too  late !  Why  had  he 
not  appealed  to  me  instead  of  to  you  from  the  first?  But 
he  shunned  me,  as  he  shunned  Conny !  It  is  all  too  fright- 
ful for  words !" 

At  that  moment  he  relived  Lenny's  despair  at  the  Lotus 
Club  when  Maur  had  refused  him  help. 

Maur  was  saying,  "How  could  I  have  known  he  was  go- 
ing to  commit  suicide  if  I  did  not  at  once  deliver  over  to 
him  two  thousand  dollars  ?  I  was  frightened  to  think  that 
he  should  need  such  a  sum !  The  only  course  open  to  him, 
it  seemed  to  me,  was  for  him  to  go  to  his  mother  and  to 
make  a  clean  breast  of  his  troubles.  I  cannot  understand 
why  he  did  not  go.  As  it  was,  I  saw  the  danger  to  myself 
of  being  drawn  deeper  and  deeper  into  his  difficulties.  So 
I  decided  that  he  must  tell  his  mother  everything,  and  to 
force  that  I  refused  him  the  money.  You  see,  Conny,  I 
had  his  welfare  in  mind.  You  would  have  done  the  same 
thing." 

Justin  was  silent,  and  he  refused  to  answer  when  Conny 
asked : 

"Didn't  you  say  that  he,"  pointing  to  Maur,  "seemed 
to  gloat  over  Lenny's  predicament  ?" 

"He  won't  say  <Yes'!"  cried  Maur.     "He  dare  not  per- 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  311 

jure  his  soul  by  such  a  terrible  statement!  He  knows  he 
may  have  been  deceived  at  the  time !" 

But  the  attack  came  from  a  new  direction. 

"I  remember,"  said  Conny  sternly,  "that  you  were  in  un- 
usually fine  spirits  during  the  time  when  you  must  have 
been  lending  Lenny  those  sums  of  money.  I  remember  it 
distinctly !  And  there  was  one  day — two  evenings  before 
his  death — when  you  came  to  the  house,  and  you  spent  an 
entire  hour  laughing  at  trifles !  Oh,  how  abominable !" 

Trembling  with  anger,  yet  showing  much  of  the  self- 
command  which  was  to  serve  him  in  his  climb  for  moneyed 
power,  Maur  made  a  last  stand.  He  was  conscious  that 
the  battle  was  lost,  but  he  was  determined  not  to  leave  the 
field  with  a  beaten  air. 

"You  would  still  call  me  a  liar/'  he  said,  "if  I  told  you 
that  during  the  time  of  which  you  speak,  I  was  made  cheer- 
ful by  several  fine  strokes  of  business  which  fell  to  my  part- 
ner and  myself.  You  have  heaped  terrible  accusations  upon 
me,  and  are  driving  me  from  your  home!  You  will  have 
to  answer  to  your  conscience  for  that!  If  this  has  been 
a  terrible  blow  to  me,  it  has  at  the  same  time  been  of  value, 
since  it  proved  to  me,  Constance,  how  impossible  it  is  for 
us  to  have  anything  in  common.  I  know  that  I  am  bigger 
than  you  all,  just  as  I  know  that  you  will  all  deeply  regret 
your  wild  words.  So  I  forgive  you.  Yes,  although  you 
think  you  have  humbled  me,  I  forgive  you!  As  for  my 
love  for  you,  I  take  it  and  trample  it  under  foot  as  some- 
thing unworthy  of  me !  I  am  sorry  for  myself,  but,  oh, 
Conny,  how  sorry  I  am  for  you !" 

For  an  instant  she  was  tempted  to  talk  things  over ;  but 
Maur  gave  her  no  chance.  He  passed  her  with  a  haughty 
bow,  and  slowly  descended  the  stairs.  As  he  took  his  hat 
and  cane  in  the  hall,  he  saw  Trevor,  who  had  just  come  in, 


312  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

"What  is  your  haste?"  asked  Conny's  father. 

"Should  not  one  fly  from  one's  enemies?"  was  the  reply. 

And  Maur  took  himself  off  with  his  head  high  in  the 
air. 

"There  was  no  use  staying,"  he  said  to  himself.  "She 
would  never  have  married  me  with  that  hanging  over  us. 
If  I  ever  get  a  chance  to  square  accounts  with  Justin  Ma- 
han,  won't  I,  though !" 

Justin  had  given  voice  to  only  one  word  when  Maur  was 
heard  shutting  the  door : 

"Hypocrite!" 

"Yes!  Yes!"  cried  Conny.  "I  feel  instinctively  that 
he  is  one !  Why  did  you  not  warn  me  before  ?  And  now 
I  have  learned  all  those  terrible  things!  Surely,  surely, 
there  will  be  nothing  more  to  learn !" 

Justin  mentally  remarked,  "Not  if  it  is  in  my  power  to 
prevent  it !" 

He  was  satisfied  with  the  manner  in  which  she  had  kept 
herself  in  hand  during  Mauris  eloquence.  It  showed  that 
she  was  no  longer  the  impulsive  girl  who  could  not  be 
trusted  to  make  her  way  through  shams. 

As  Justin  set  to  work  in  the  garden,  he  was  inclined, 
however,  to  feel  somewhat  sorry  for  Maur. 

"I  laid  on  the  whip  too  heavily,"  he  said.  "It  was  a 
terrible  defeat  for  him.  And  I  must  remember  that  I,  too, 
worked  harm  in  Lenny's  life,  even  though  I  did  so  uncon- 
sciously I" 

After  an  interval,  Conny  joined  him.  He  dared  not 
look  up  at  her,  and  worked  on  silently.  She  asked : 

"Do  you  think  we  will  have  lots  of  flowers?" 

Wondering  how  she  could  give  any  thought  to  so  second- 
ary a  matter  after  the  storm  through  which  she  had  just 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  313 

passed,  he  said  briefly,  "I  think  so,"  adding,  "You  will  cer- 
tainly have  a  pretty  spot  here  in  two  months !" 

"It  is  not  that !     I  want  them  because — because " 

She  broke  off  with  a  sob. 

"I  know,"  said  Justin  gently.  "You  will  have  many 
for  his  resting  place." 

And  a  tear  slowly  trickled  down  his  cheek. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

There  were  two  places  in  Mrs.  Craigie's  home  constantly 
filled  with  flowers — the  Captain's  library  and  Lenny's  bed- 
room. And  her  time,  when  she  was  not  visiting  the  graves, 
or  receiving  her  many  visitors,  was  divided  between  the  two 
rooms.  The  strength  she  could  command  for  the  continual 
climbing  of  the  stairs  in  going  fromxthe  library  to  Lenny's 
bedroom  was  remarkable.  She  would  not  allow  Mrs.  Mul- 
bolland  to  help  her.  It  was  sweet  labor  for  her  to  toil  up 
the  stairs,  and  to  totter  into  the  quiet  chamber  where  Lenny 
had  slept. 

There  she  would  spend  her  time  rearranging  his  clothes, 
or  going  over  the  gifts  she  had  given  him  from  year  to 
year,  or  doing  other  things  which  brought  him  quite  close 
to  her.  It  filled  her  with  joy  to  take  up  and  study  his  first 
scrawl,  and  to  read  the  letters  he  had  written  his  father 
when  the  Captain  was  cruising — in  both  instances  the 
child's  moving  hand  as  real  to  her  as  when  it  had  moved 
over  the  pages  she  fingered. 

To  the  treasures  of  the  room  she  had  added  all  the  re- 
membrances Lenny  had  given  her.  These  had  a  place  on 
the  bureau  with  his  jewelry.  His  favorite  books  were  in  a 
little  heap  on  a  table  within  reach  of  the  chair,  in  which 
he  had  always  preferred  to  lounge,  near  the  window.  The 
tokens  from  the  baseball  league  adorned  the  walls.  The 
newspaper  mention  of  the  league  had  been  clipped,  and 
were  pasted  into  a  scrap-book,  which  was  also  kept  in  that 
room. 

314 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  315 

Lenny's  linen,  scented,  lay  in  the  bureau,  to  be  often 
touched  by  his  mother's  caressing  hands.  The  first  pair 
of  shoes  he  had  worn  shared  a  place  with  the  last. 

In  the  drawer  of  his  table  lay  his  unfinished  manuscript, 
blotted  in  many  places  with  tears.  Again  and  again  had 
his  mother  considered  the  advisability  of  publishing  the 
finished  chapters,  only  to  decide  that  the  written  words 
were  for  her,  and  for  no  one  else. 

"He  cannot  mean  to  others  what  he  means  to  me!"  she 
would  say. 

Hovering  over  these  reminders,  his  mother  always  felt 
him  within  reach.  So  she  clung  to  them  with  longing  fin- 
gers, and  murmured  his  name,  until  her  grief  would  fling 
her  sobbing  across  his  bed,  her  arms  about  the  pillow  where 
his  head  had  rested. 

She  was  to  spend  in  that  room  many  nights  as  sleepless 
as  his  had  been.  At  those  times,  she  would  often  call  his 
name,  first  softly,  then  louder  and  louder,  her  arms  out- 
stretched. There  were  times  when  she  was  certain  that 
he  pillowed  his  head  within  the  circle  of  her  arms. 

There  were  also  periods  of  self-accusation,  in  which  she 
would  charge: 

"I  did  not  watch  over  his  welfare  sufficiently !  I  should 
have  seen  how  troubled  he  was.  I  should  have  been  the 
friend  to  him  I  had  planned  to  be.  He  would  never  have 
gone  from  me  if  I  had  taken  care !  And  he  was  slipping 
further  and  further  away,  and  I  did  not  put  out  a  hand  to 
keep  him!  How  blind  I  was !  To  have  called  myself  his 
mother,  and  not  to  have  safe-guarded  his  life !  It  was  not 
that  I  trusted  him  too  much !  He  did  not  trust  me 
enough  !  I  should  have  brought  his  friends  into  this  house, 
and  then  those  who  were  unworthy  of  him  would  never  have 
had  any  influence.  Instead,  1  let  him  wander  about,  aim- 
lessly, to  choose  his  companions  in  a  boy's  way,  and  to  let 


316  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

them  drag  him  down  to  destruction.  Oh,  my  Lenny,  I 
could  have  kept  you,  against  all  the  world,  if  I  had  taken 
care !" 

One  day,  as  she  sat  musing,  a  thought  presented  itself 
which  she  had  not  seen  with  distinctness  before. 

"His  cigarette  smoking  was  at  the  bottom  of  his  trou- 
bles !" 

She  got  to  her  feet  with  a  terrible  cry.  Extending  her 
arms  with  a  gesture  of  profound  despair,  she  asked : 

"Can  it  have  cost  me  both  husband  and  son?  Then  I 
have  indeed  allowed  Lenny  to  go  to  his  death  without  put- 
ting out  a  restraining  hand !" 

She  fell  to  the  floor  as  if  stricken. 

******** 

Gertrude  and  Justin  came  to  see  Conny  on  an  evening 
some  days  later  when  they  had  instinctively  felt  that  she 
needed  them.  So  it  proved,  for  she  exclaimed : 

"How  did  you  know  I  was  lonely?  Perhaps  it  was  be- 
cause I  really  wished  very  hard  that  you  would  find  time 
for  me.  I  have  been  so  restless  all  day !" 

As  they  passed  the  little  parlor,  Conny  held  up  a  warn- 
ing finger.  Her  father  was  dozing  in  a  seat  near  the  lamp. 
They  tiptoed  to  another  room. 

"He's  always  falling  asleep  in  the  evening,"  she  said. 
"My  reading  to  him  don't  keep  him  awake,  although  he  is 
always  so  sorry  about  it !  He  wants  to  keep  awake  by  read- 
ing to  me,  but  I  won't  let  him.  His  eyes  are  not  strong. 
He  is  more  nervous  than  ever,  too,  and  he  hardly  gets 
about !'  I  am  sure  he  looks  very  old !  Doesn't  he  ?" 

They  denied  this.     Justin  said: 

"His  actor's  life  was  very  trying ;  and  this,  coupled  with 
his  natural  nervousness,  was  bound  to  tell  on  him.  Rest 
for  a  few  years  will  make  him  a  well  man  again." 

But  Conny  knew  better,  although  she  hardly  dared  to  tell 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  3ir 

herself  the  truth.  Despite  her  hints,  Trevor  refused  to  see 
a  physician.  Conny  complained  of  this  as  she  made  her 
visitors  comfortable. 

"Don't  insist  that  he  should!"  Justin  advised.  "Why 
should  you  worry  him  about  his  health  ?" 

Then  he  hastened  to  change  the  topic  of  conversation. 
Their  plans  for  the  summer  came  up  for  discussion.  Jus- 
tin was  obdurate  about  wanting  to  stay  in  town.  Conny 
wanted  to  remain  so  as  to  spend  as  much  time  as  possible  at 
a  stretch  in  her  new  home. 

"As  if  it  wasn't  because  of  your  garden!"  Justin  teased 
her. 

"And  what  are  you  growing  in  your  garden?"  she  asked, 
seriously. 

"A  lot  of  clients  and  some  political  hopes,"  he  replied. 

He  spoke  of  his  chances  of  being  the  "dark  horse"  at  the 
primaries  which  were  to  nominate  a  councilman. 

"Do  you  know  who  is  beginning  to  take  a  quiet  hand 
in  politics?"  he  asked.  "Robert  Maur!  I  know  his  pur- 
pose. It  is  to  kill  my  chances  for  office.  Another  client 
of  mine  has  complained  about  Maur's  methods.  Sooner  or 
later  there  will  be  an  explosion,  and  then  that  gentleman 
will  do  his  business  on  a  more  honest  basis." 

"Won't  such  an  explosion  drive  him  out  of  politics?" 
asked  Conny. 

"Not  with  his  money,"  said  Justin.  "And  I  can  see 
that  my  whole  political  future  will  mean  a  series  of  ex- 
tended fights  with  him.  It  adds  zest  to  life  to  know  that  I 
can  serve  the  community  by  keeping  him  out  of  office.  You 
would  be  surprised  to  learn  how  many  members  of  Lenny's 
league  of  baseball  clubs  have  begun  to  gather  around  me  as 
a  political  following,  simply  because  I  was  associated  with 
Lenny  in  the  work.  No,  there  is  no  reason  to  fear  Maur !" 

The  mention  of  the  dead  boy's  name  had  made  Conny's 


318  THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE 

head  droop.  As  Gertrude  was  about  to  go  over  to  her, 
Justin  sprang  up  with  a  cry. 

"There's  a  fire  in  the  neighborhood!"  he  exclaimed. 

They  rushed  to  the  window.  After  a  glance,  Conny 
burst  out : 

"Why,  it's  either  your  house,  Gertrude,  or  Mrs.  Crai- 
gie's !" 

"It  is  Mrs.  Craigie's !"  said  Justin. 

In  a  moment  they  had  joined  the  crowd  streaming 
toward  the  place. 

"I  was  dimly  conscious  of  some  excitement  on  the 
street,"  Justin  remembered,  as  they  arrived  on  the  main 
thoroughfare  and  began  to  elbow  their  way  hurriedly 
through  the  mass  of  people  moving  in  the  direction  of  the 
fire.  "Of  course  Mrs.  Craigie  can  be  in  no  danger,"  he 
said  reassuringly.  "She  does  not  retire  early.  And  Mrs. 
Mulholland  is  always  with  her,  you  know." 

"Her  wandering  about  the  house  must  have  done  it!" 
Conny  moaned. 

She  had  hit  upon  the  cause.  Mrs.  Craigie,  after  visiting 
Lenny's  room,  had  not  given  any  heed  to'  the  match  with 
which  she  lighted  the  gas  there,  and  a  spark  slowly  worked 
itself  into  a  flame,  and  soon  the  room  was  in  a  blaze.  How 
could  the  worn  body  have  known  its  old  caution?  It  was 
resting  wearily  on  the  porch  when  the  alarm  of  fire  sounded 
through  the  house. 

Only  one  thought  dominated  the  bereaved  woman  when 
she  learned  what  had  happened.  Gathering  all  her 
strength,  she  rushed  up  to  the  library  and  snatched  from 
its  place  on  the  wall  the  tribute  from  the  President  of  the 
United  States  to  her  husband.  From  there  she  was  ready 
to  fly  to  Lenny's  room.  But  a  wall  of  flame  opposed  her. 
Mrs.  Mulholland,  however,  was  forced  to  hold  her  tightly, 
lest  she  should  defy  death  and  cross  into  that  room. 


THE  TYRANT  IN  WHITE  319 

Almost  carrying  the  frail  form,  Mrs.  Mulholland  helped 
her  down  to  the  hall  and,  snatching  up  some  wraps,  took 
the  half-fainting  woman  out  of  reach  of  danger.  But  Mrs. 
Craigie  would  not  leave  the  scene  and,  standing  in  the 
street,  she  watched  with  streaming  eyes  the  destruction  of 
her  home. 

It  was  thus  that  Conny  and  Gertrude  found  her  when 
they  pushed  the  neighbors  aside  and  took  her  in  their  arms. 
Justin  had  at  once  approached  a  friend  who  had  come  to 
the  scene  in  an  automobile,  and  suggested  that  he  should 
put  Mrs.  Craigie  in  it,  and  take  her  to  Gertrude's  home. 

"My  dear  fellow,"  said  the  other,  "we  have  all  tried  to 
get  her  away  from  the  place.  She  won't  go.  I  suppose 
you  can't  blame  her  for  wanting  to  stay.  The  house  is 
doomed  with  that  increasing  wind  and  our  poor  water  sup- 
ply at  this  particular  place.  Poor  Mrs.  Craigie!  Phew, 
aren't  thrfse  upper  portions  going  fast,  though !  That  is 
the  library  burning  now,  eh  ?  A  thousand  pities !  It  was 
certainly  a  beautiful  home !  And  with  what  it  has  meant 
to  her,  I  don't  see  how  she  will  bear  the  loss  of  it !" 

Justin,  deep  down  in  his  heart  was  not  sorry  that  the 
terrible  reminders  of  Lenny  were  going  up  in  flame. 

"No  woman  could  stand  the  strain  of  handling  every 
day  the  belongings  of  one  who  had  been  lost  to  her !"  he  re- 
flected. 

Lenny's  mother  was  grieving,  "Not  a  thing  left  me! 
Everything  gone !  All  in  an  hour !  A  little  while  ago  I 
could  touch  what  they  had  loved  and  what  had  been  theirs ! 
Now  there  is  nothing !" 

Conny  suddenly  slipped  away.  When  Gertrude  persisted 
in  her  pleading  with  Mrs.  Craigie  that  she  should  give  up 
the  heart-rending  task  of  watching  the  destruction  of  her 
home,  and  should  come  to  hers,  the  older  woman  asked: 

"But  where  is  she? — Where  is  Conny?" 


320  THE  TYEANT  IN  WHITE 

There  was  not  a  sign  of  her.  Then  some  one  remem- 
bered that  she  had  hurried  away  but  a  moment  before.  As 
Mrs.  Craigie  stood  looking  at  the  blazing  shell  which  had 
been  her  home,  Justin,  who  had  guided  the  automobile 
within  reach,  lifted  her  into  it  before  she  could  object. 

"You  will  only  catch  cold  if  you  remain,"  he  said  sim- 
ply, but  insistently. 

He  put  Gertrude  in  beside  her,  and  then  clambered  in  to 
take  the  wheel. 

As  they  made  their  way  out  of  the  crowd,  Mrs.  Craigie 
leaned  forward  and  said: 

"Justin,  take  me  to  Conny." 

When  the  automobile  turned  the  corner  of  the  street 
where  her  home  had  occupied  a  proud  position,  she  looked 
back  at  the  blazing  ruins  and  burst  into  tears.  Gertrude 
folded  her  into  her  arms  and  spoke  soothing  words,  al- 
though on  the  verge  of  tears  herself. 

"It  was  the  place  that  sheltered  my  boy  and  his  father!" 
sobbed  Mrs.  Craigie. 

"I  know !    I  know !"  said  Gertrude. 

The  automobile  came  to  a  stop.  Mrs.  Craigie,  helped 
out  by  Justin,  did  not  wait  for  his  arm.  Summing  up  sur- 
prising strength,  she  hurried  up  the  narrow  path  towards 
the  small  house.  Before  she  could  lay  her  hand  upon  the 
bell,  the  door  was  pulled  open  and  Conny  had  her  arms 
about  the  neck  of  the  homeless  woman. 

"Conny,"  said  the  latter,  "will  you  shelter  me?" 

"I  was  all  ready  for  you,  mother!"  came  in  reply.  "I 
knew  you  would  find  your  way  here !  I  knew !  That's  the 
reason  I  stole  back  and  waited !  You're  to  be  with  me  for 
all  time !" 

And  as  the  lips  of  the  two  women  met  in  a  long  kiss 
Justin  and  Gertrude  silently  slipped  away. 


&SSSRS2S!"-  "WARY  FAOUT 


A     000  038  078    2 


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DUE  ZWKSnWI  DATE  RECEIVU 


